The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has scheduled a meeting next week to determine its next steps following a court ruling that invalidated the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and its presidential primary that produced former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s candidate for the 2027 elections.

The commission said it would first obtain and examine the certified true copy of the Federal High Court judgment before taking any position on the party’s leadership dispute.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, disclosed this in an interview with Sunday PUNCH.

Haruna explained that the commission would not rely on media reports to interpret the court’s decision, insisting that it needed to study the official judgment before deciding on the appropriate action.

He added that the matter would be discussed when the commission holds its meeting next week.

He also said INEC would comply with any subsequent court directive if the faction led by former Senate President David Mark appeals the judgment and secures an order staying its execution.

The controversy followed a ruling delivered on Thursday by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which nullified the Mark-led caretaker committee over alleged violations of the ADC constitution, the Electoral Act and the 1999 Constitution.

The judgment arose from a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former ADC Deputy National Chairman (North-East), who challenged the process through which Mark and other members of the caretaker committee assumed control of the party.

Gombe argued that he was constitutionally entitled to take over as national chairman following the resignation of the party’s former chairman, Ralph Nwosu.

He had asked the court to invalidate the decisions taken by the caretaker leadership and stop Mark and former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, from presenting themselves as the party’s national chairman and secretary, respectively.

In its ruling, the court nullified the caretaker committee’s emergence and the presidential primary that produced Atiku as the ADC’s flag bearer for the 2027 general elections.

It also invalidated Aregbesola’s emergence as national secretary, the appointments of other national officers and the party’s nominations of candidates for the forthcoming elections.

Furthermore, the court directed INEC not to recognise or act on decisions reached at the ADC’s 99th National Executive Committee meeting held on July 27, 2025.

The ruling has placed the validity of Atiku’s emergence as the party’s presidential candidate in question, pending further legal developments and INEC’s position on the judgment.