INEC Gets Court’s Nod For Election Guidelines, El-Rufai’s Ally Lukman Dumps ADC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), over the week, disclosed plans to conduct a mock presidential election and a comprehensive audit of its electoral technology systems to strengthen preparations for the 2027 general election.

The INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN) made the disclosure when he received the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Richard Montgomery at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

Amupitan said the proposals, which were under consideration by the commission, were informed by concerns arising from the 2023 general election, particularly over the reliability of election technology.

He said the Commission was considering a full audit of its electoral systems and a mock presidential election to test the readiness of its processes and technology ahead of the 2027 polls.

The British High Commissioner said the UK had been closely monitoring INEC’s preparations for the 2027 general election, including the conduct of recent off-cycle elections in Ekiti, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and Anambra, as well as preparations for the forthcoming Osun state governorship election.

This is just as the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which nullified part of the electoral guidelines issued by INEC for the conduct of next year’s polls.

Justice Okon Abang, who delivered the lead judgment, faulted the trial court for invalidating INEC’s administrative discretion, saying: “The law gives INEC powers to conduct elections in the country.”

He further stated that, “there was no deposition or threat that the respondent was prevented from conducting its primaries.

Justice Muhammed Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had nullified INEC’s guideline directing political parties to submit their membership registers and databases by 10 May as a condition for participation in the 2027 general elections. The Youth Party had filed the suit challenging the electoral body’s directive.

Also, during the week, most political parties completed uploading their presidential and National Assembly candidates following the extension of the period from Saturday, July 11 to Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at midnight.

INEC had extended the submission of Presidential and National candidates based on an appeal by the Inter-Party Advisory Council, on behalf of political parties who were unable to upload the names and personal particulars of their flag-bearers within the scheduled timeline

The parties that successfully uploaded their candidates include the All Progressives Congress (APC), which is fielding President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima for re-election; the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which uploaded the names of its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and his running mate, Rotimi Amaechi; and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), which uploaded the names of its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

Meanwhile, political parties were to begin uploading the names and particulars of their governorship and state Assembly candidates from yesterday, 18 July 2026.

By its schedule of activities, INEC was to open its portal to authorised leaders of the parties by 9 am on July 18 to upload the names and relevant particulars of their flag bearers.  The portal will close by 6 pm on 8 August.

On the other hand, the leadership crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepened as the Federal High Court in Abuja struck out a suit seeking the recognition of the Tanimu Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee (INWC), prompting the faction to appeal to the Court of Appeal.

Justice Salim Ibrahim upheld the preliminary objection raised by the defendants and ruled that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter, holding that the dispute bordered on the leadership of the PDP, which is an internal affair of the party.

The suit was filed by the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, alongside former Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu, Prof. Jerry Gana, Olabode George, Hajiya Maryam Ciroma, Hajiya Zainab Maina, Dame Esther Uduehi and other founding members.

The plaintiffs had sought, among other reliefs, an order directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise and publish the names of the Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee as the authentic leadership of the party.

In his judgment, Justice Ibrahim held that the plaintiffs lacked the legal standing to institute the suit on behalf of the PDP and failed to establish that INEC had recognised the purported interim leadership.

The judge also struck out the PDP as a plaintiff, ruling that those who instituted the action did not obtain the party’s authorisation to sue in its name.

Reacting to the judgment, the Tanimu Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee said it received the decision with respect but strongly disagreed with the court’s conclusions, insisting that the ruling was inconsistent with the Court of Appeal’s and the Supreme Court’s extant decisions on similar issues.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the faction disclosed that it had immediately directed its legal team to challenge the judgment before the Court of Appeal.

Similarly, fresh crisis engulfed the African Democratic Congress (ADC) a chieftain of the party, Salihu Mohammed Lukman, dump the party over what he described as the hijack of its structures and hostile treatment by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

Lukman, who announced his decision in a statement, said that he could no longer remain in the party because of what he called “hostile treatment” and the struggle for control of the party structure in Kaduna State.

The ADC stalwart alleged that the internal crisis had undermined the ideals that inspired the opposition coalition and was eroding public confidence in the ADC as a credible alternative ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He argued that the crisis was distracting the party from its broader national objectives and warned that unless urgent steps were taken to restore internal democracy, the ADC could lose the confidence of Nigerians seeking a viable opposition platform.