On Friday (November 6/7, 2026), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) dismissed circulating social media reports that it deleted the names of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar (ADC’s 2027 presidential candidate) and his running mate, Rotimi Amaechi, following a Federal High Court judgment.
Key points from INEC’s response
- National Commissioner Mohammed Kudu Haruna (Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee) stated that INEC has not received a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment and has not deliberated on or acted on it.
He said: “I don’t know where that statement came from. Somebody just forwarded it to me. We haven’t received the judgement yet.” He noted that obtaining a CTC typically takes about a week, and the commission cannot act without the official document. - Checks of INEC’s portal on Friday confirmed that Atiku and Amaechi’s names remain listed as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential ticket.
Background
- On Thursday, Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja nullified the David Mark-led leadership of the ADC and invalidated actions taken under it, including the nomination process that produced Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 elections.
- The ADC and Atiku have indicated plans to appeal the ruling and continue the campaign.
This is the consistent position reported across multiple Nigerian outlets (Daily Trust, Naija News, TimesNG, Lagos Post, and others) based on Haruna’s comments. INEC’s stance is that it will follow the proper judicial process once it formally receives the judgment.
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