The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has said that the commission is constitutionally bound to abide by whatever final judgment the courts deliver on the eligibility of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to contest the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking at Chatham House in London on Thursday, Amupitan responded to questions on whether Atiku would remain on the ballot if he fails to overturn a recent Federal High Court ruling that nullified the Senator David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
“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 stated.
He emphasised that the commission has no choice but to enforce judicial pronouncements regardless of political fallout.
While affirming INEC’s commitment to the rule of law, the chairman voiced concern over the flood of pre-election litigation threatening the commission’s logistical preparations ahead of the January 2027 polls.
He revealed that INEC is currently contending with more than 300 pending court cases just weeks before election day.
“Some of those issues we have with court cases—over 300 cases hanging on the neck of INEC, and elections are just about 66 days away,” he lamented.
Amupitan noted that INEC had already begun procuring sensitive election materials, making late judicial reversals a major operational headache.
He explained that when the ADC leadership dispute first surfaced in April, the commission pushed for an accelerated hearing so the matter could be settled within three weeks, allowing INEC to finalize its logistics.
However, the case dragged on and is now headed to the Court of Appeal following the ADC’s decision to challenge the lower court’s ruling.
To prevent legal battles from derailing future polls, Amupitan advocated for electoral reforms that would require all pre-election disputes to be concluded at least six months to a year before voting day.
He also warned that enforcing last-minute court rulings unfairly exposes the electoral umpire to public backlash.
“The danger is that whenever there is such a decision, and it’s up to you to now implement it, you become the problem. The problem now is transferred unto you,” he said.
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