A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise and publish the names of candidates submitted by the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator David Mark, for the forthcoming Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Justice Mohammed Umar issued the order on Tuesday while delivering judgment in a suit instituted by 17 ADC candidates who challenged INEC’s refusal to grant the party electronic access to upload their details for the February 21 Area Council elections.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1907/25, the court held that the plaintiffs presented credible and convincing evidence to support their claims. Justice Umar ruled that the candidates had successfully proved their case and were entitled to the reliefs sought.
The court consequently directed INEC to recognise and publish the names of the plaintiffs as ADC candidates for the various positions they contested during the party’s substitution primary election, conducted in preparation for the 2026 FCT Area Council polls.
Justice Umar further ordered INEC to grant the ADC electronic access to upload the candidates’ names on its portal, in line with Sections 29(1), 31, 33 and 84(1), (5) and (6) of the Electoral Act 2022, as well as INEC’s election guidelines.
The candidates ordered to be uploaded on INEC’s portal include 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 elections.
In a 27-paragraph affidavit deposed to by one of the plaintiffs, Onuoha Goodness, it was stated that the first to 16th plaintiffs emerged from a substitution primary election conducted after some candidates from the party’s main primaries withdrew. Their names, she said, were intended to be uploaded before the close of submission on August 11, 2025. She added that the 17th plaintiff was nominated as the ADC’s vice-chairmanship candidate for the Abuja Municipal Area Council.
According to the affidavit, attempts by the ADC to upload the required Forms EC9 and EC13 were unsuccessful due to lack of access. Correspondence between the party’s ICT unit and INEC allegedly revealed that the problem stemmed from INEC’s refusal to recognise the signatures of the ADC’s current National Chairman, Senator David Mark, and National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, on the substitution notification letter.
The plaintiffs also claimed that INEC declined to receive a formal letter requesting access, which was sent through their lawyer, Kalu Agu.
In its judgment, the court agreed that under the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines, the commission is obligated to provide political parties electronic access to upload the names of duly nominated candidates, and ordered INEC to comply accordingly.
