FCT polls: Court orders INEC to publish ADC candidates’ names

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An Abuja Federal High Court on Tuesday ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to publish the names of candidates submitted by the African Democratic Congress for the February 21 Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory.

Justice Mohammed Umar gave the order 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 suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1907/25, was instituted by the candidates following INEC’s failure to recognise the list forwarded by the ADC leadership under its chairman, Senator David Mark.

In his judgment, 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 reasonable doubt.

“The evidence provided by the plaintiffs were credible enough for him to attach a ‘more probate value’,” the judge held, granting all the reliefs sought in the originating summons.

He 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.

The court further directed INEC to grant the ADC electronic access to upload the names of the candidates on its portal, relying on Sections 29(1), 31, 33 and 84(1)(5)(6) of the Electoral Act 2022, as well as INEC’s election guidelines. Punch