The media adviser to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, Paul Ibe, has questioned the position of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the party’s leadership crisis.
This was just as he demanded clarification on how the commission intends to reconcile conflicting court judgments on the party’s leadership.
Ibe raised the concerns in a post on X on Friday, following comments by INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, that the commission would comply with any court ruling determining Atiku’s eligibility to contest the 2027 presidential election.
Amupitan had said INEC would abide by the judiciary’s decision, particularly if the matter eventually reached the Supreme Court, regardless of its political implications.
However, Ibe argued that the commission’s assurance failed to address the status of an earlier judgment delivered by Justice Musa Liman of the Federal High Court on July 2, 2026, which upheld the emergence of the David Mark-led ADC leadership.
He maintained that since Justice Liman and Justice Peter Lifu, who delivered the subsequent judgment affecting the ADC leadership, sit in the same Federal High Court, neither court has appellate jurisdiction over the other.
According to Ibe, INEC must explain how it intends to reconcile the two decisions rather than issue a general statement about its commitment to obeying court orders.
“Has Justice Liman’s judgment been set aside? Which specific orders does INEC consider binding, and how does it reconcile their effect on the ADC leadership and its candidates?” he asked.
He stressed that his concerns were about consistency, institutional neutrality and the right of Nigerians to have genuine electoral choices.
“We are not asking INEC Nigeria to disregard any court order. We are demanding an approach that accounts for both judgments and leaves the resolution of any conflict to the appropriate appellate court,” Ibe stated.
He further argued that the commission should apply the same standard to court decisions regardless of the political party that benefits from them.
“A judgment favourable to the opposition ADC cannot become invisible when another judgment goes against it. The same standard must apply, regardless of which political party benefits,” he added.
Ibe urged INEC to demonstrate that its decisions were guided by the law rather than the political implications of court rulings.
Amupitan had spoken on Thursday during a session at Chatham House in London, where he was asked whether Atiku could participate in the 2027 presidential election if he failed to overturn the judgment affecting the ADC leadership.
“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,” the INEC chairman said.
He also disclosed that the commission was involved in more than 300 pending court cases, warning that prolonged litigation could disrupt preparations for the 2027 general election.
“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 said.
Amupitan recalled that when the ADC leadership dispute emerged in April, INEC had advocated that it be resolved within three weeks to prevent complications for the commission’s preparations.
He also called for reforms to the electoral legal framework to ensure that pre-election disputes were concluded at least six months or one year before general elections.
Politics Nigeria reports that Justice Lifu had nullified the leadership of the ADC faction led by former Senate President David Mark, raising questions about the validity of Atiku’s emergence as the party’s presidential candidate.
The ADC has vowed to challenge the judgment at the Court of Appeal.
