Photo: Abuja, Nigeria's capital — Wikimedia Commons
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, has said the commission will obey the courts on whether former Vice President Atiku Abubakar can contest the 2027 presidential election.
Amupitan spoke on Thursday at Chatham House in London, where he was asked what would happen to Atiku's candidacy if the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate fails to overturn the judgment affecting his party's leadership.
- INEC will obey every court order on Atiku's eligibility, especially from the Supreme Court
- Amupitan denies owning a pro-Tinubu X account and says he has never used the platform
- INEC is handling more than 300 pending court cases ahead of the 2027 elections
Why Atiku's candidacy is before the courts
A Federal High Court judgment delivered in Abuja on November 5 nullified the Senator David Mark-led leadership of the ADC and the decisions taken under it, including the primary that produced Atiku as the party's presidential candidate.
The ADC is challenging the judgment. Its lawyers argued on Wednesday that the ruling contained no specific order cancelling Atiku's emergence as candidate.
"If he eventually fails, well, I'm obligated under Section 285 of the Constitution of Nigeria to obey every court order, especially if it is from the Supreme Court," Amupitan said, describing the Atiku case as "a very big issue" for the commission.
Amupitan denies owning a pro-APC account
In a separate clarification reported by Punch and Vanguard, Amupitan denied owning an X account said to be promoting President Bola Tinubu and the ruling APC.
He said he has never used the platform, that the matter has been reported to the Department of State Services and the Inspector-General of Police, and that an independent report on the account has been obtained.
The denial matters because INEC's neutrality is central to confidence in the 2027 polls, and a partisan account in the chairman's name would compromise that confidence.
What happens next
Amupitan said INEC is contending with more than 300 pending court cases while preparing for the elections, and he repeated his call for pre-election disputes to be concluded at least six months, and preferably a year, before voting.
He also asked Nigerians to trust the commission to deliver credible polls in 2027.
The ADC's appeal will now decide how much time INEC has: a late judgment, Amupitan warned, could strain the printing of ballot papers and other sensitive-material logistics.
Credit: Vanguard, News Central TV and The Sun reports of November 12-13, 2026.
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