By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish the names of candidates submitted by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the February 21 Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Justice Mohammed Umar gave the order on Tuesday, January 20, while delivering judgment in a suit filed by 17 ADC candidates challenging INEC’s refusal to grant the party electronic access to upload their details for the polls.
The candidates instituted the suit following INEC’s alleged failure to recognise the list forwarded by the ADC leadership under its chairman, Senator David Mark.
In his ruling on the matter, Justice Umar held that the evidence presented by the plaintiffs was credible and deserving of weight, adding that the claimants had proved their case beyond a reasonable doubt.
The judge consequently ordered INEC to recognise and publish the names of the plaintiffs as ADC candidates for the various positions they contested in the party’s substitution primary election ahead of the 2026 FCT Area Council polls.
Relying on Sections 29(1), 31, 33, and 84(1)(5)(6) of the Electoral Act 2022, as well as INEC’s election guidelines, the court further directed INEC to grant the ADC electronic access to upload the names of the candidates on its portal.
Justice Umar listed those to be uploaded as Jafaru Shaibu, Ayenajeyi Yakubu, Dauda Awode, Ezra Zaki, Sunday Abraham, Ayuba Adam, Jamilu Kabiru, Nuhu Madaki, Ibrahim Aliyu, and Ogwuche Linus.
Others are Chibuike Anyika, Okechukwu Ironkwe, Godwin Adoga, Agada John, Onuoha Goodness, Mahrazu Bichi, and Tobias Obechina.
The plaintiffs had approached the court after INEC allegedly denied the ADC access to upload their names as candidates for the forthcoming elections.
In a 27-paragraph affidavit deposed to by one of the plaintiffs, Onuoha Goodness, the claimants stated that the 1st to 16th plaintiffs participated in the ADC primary election after the withdrawal of candidates whose names had earlier been uploaded on the party’s portal before the August 11, 2025, deadline.
She added that the 17th plaintiff was nominated as the ADC vice-chairmanship candidate for the Abuja Municipal Area Council election.
Goodness said following their emergence, the party attempted to upload their details but was blocked by INEC.
She stated that after their emergence, the ADC “made efforts to upload to our INEC Forms EC9 and EC13 categories to the portal but could not get access to do so.”
Goodness further explained that exchanges between the ICT departments of both bodies showed that “the substitution notification letter from ADC to INEC was the issue as the access code given to ADC through her former National Chairman could not be used by the current National Chairman of the ADC since INEC did not recognise the signatures of the current National Chairman and National Secretary of the ADC, that is Senator David Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.”
The plaintiffs also told the court that INEC declined to accept a letter from their lawyer, Kalu Agu, requesting access for the ADC to upload their names.
“INEC is hell-bent on denying ADC access to upload our names on the INEC portal,” the plaintiffs submitted.
According to the court, one of the issues for determination was whether under the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines, the commission was obliged to grant the ADC electronic access to upload the names of the plaintiffs as candidates for the February 21 polls.
Having resolved the issue in favour of the plaintiffs, Justice Umar ordered INEC to grant the required access and publish the names of the candidates accordingly.
