By Ghazali Ibrahim
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed reports that it has replaced former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar with Chief Ifeanyi Uba as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
The clarification comes amid growing uncertainty over the ADC’s presidential ticket following a November 5 judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which nullified the leadership of the party led by former Senate President David Mark and invalidated decisions taken under its authority, including the process that produced Atiku as its presidential candidate.
Reports circulated on social media that INEC had removed Atiku’s name from its records and replaced him with Ifeanyi Uba, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
However, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, described the report as false, saying the commission had yet to receive the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment and had not taken any decision on its implementation.
Speaking in a telephone interview with Saturday Telegraph, Haruna said: “I wonder where the report was coming from. We have not yet seen the CTC of the judgement. We have not acted on the judgement.”
He also disclosed that the commission would issue a disclaimer to correct the information circulating among members of the public.
A separate report by Leadership newspaper quoted Haruna as saying that INEC could not be expected to act on a judgment it had not officially received.
He reportedly explained that obtaining a certified copy of a court judgment takes time, adding that the commission had not deliberated on the implications of the ruling.
A check of INEC’s portal on Saturday morning by BlackBox Nigeria also showed that Atiku and his running mate, Rotimi Amaechi, remained listed as the ADC’s presidential candidate and running mate for the 2027 election.
The controversy followed a judgment delivered on Thursday, November 5, by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The court ruled in favour of Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former ADC Deputy National Chairman for the North-East, who challenged the emergence of the David Mark-led leadership.
Gombe had argued that following the resignation of former national chairman Ralph Nwosu, he was constitutionally entitled to assume the party’s leadership.
He consequently challenged the process through which Mark, former Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola and other members of the leadership emerged.
Justice Lifu held that the process that produced the Mark-led executive violated the ADC constitution and relevant electoral provisions.
The judge consequently nullified the leadership structure and decisions taken under it, including the party’s congresses, convention and nominations for the 2027 general elections.
The ruling therefore affected not only Atiku’s presidential nomination but also the nominations of other ADC candidates contesting governorship, National Assembly and state legislative positions.
The court did not, however, name Ifeanyi Uba or any other individual as Atiku’s replacement.
The latest report has also brought renewed attention to an earlier development involving Nafiu Bala Gombe’s faction.
In May 2026, the faction announced Professor Chris Uba as its preferred presidential candidate after claiming that the party had adopted a consensus arrangement for its presidential primary.
The faction said two other aspirants had withdrawn from the contest and endorsed Uba, who was subsequently presented as its presidential flagbearer.
The announcement came after the David Mark-led faction had conducted its own presidential primary, which produced Atiku Abubakar as its candidate.
In July, the Gombe-led faction again publicly rejected Atiku’s claim to the ADC presidential ticket, insisting that Chris Uba was its recognised candidate.
The faction also maintained that the Mark-led leadership lacked the authority to conduct primaries or present candidates on behalf of the party.
However, the latest INEC clarification specifically addresses the report that the commission had replaced Atiku with Chief Ifeanyi Uba. It does not amount to an endorsement of Chris Uba or a confirmation of any alternative ADC presidential candidate.
Meanwhile, the David Mark-led ADC has moved to challenge the November 5 judgment.
The party’s legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Shaibu Enejoh Aruwa, filed a notice of appeal and an application for a stay of execution on November 6.
In a letter to INEC, the lawyers informed the commission that the party had approached the Court of Appeal and urged it to suspend further action on the judgment pending the determination of the appeal.
However, the application for a stay of execution was yet to be heard as of November 7.
The filing of an appeal does not automatically suspend the judgment.
Atiku has also rejected the ruling and vowed to challenge it, insisting that his presidential ambition remains on course.
In his reaction to the judgment, the former vice-president questioned why the dispute had been reopened despite an earlier ruling involving the ADC leadership.
He maintained that his campaign would continue while his lawyers pursue the available legal options.
The APC, through its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, has also denied involvement in the legal dispute, describing it as an internal ADC disagreement.
With INEC yet to receive the certified judgment and the ADC’s appeal awaiting further proceedings, the commission has not announced any replacement for Atiku.
For now, the former vice-president and Amaechi remain listed on the commission’s portal, while the competing factions continue to contest the leadership and ownership of the party’s 2027 presidential ticket.
