The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will study the Federal High Court judgment directing it to recognise and upload the name of the Accord Party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja during a World News Conference and National Stakeholders’ Meeting organised to mark 100 days to the 2027 general election.
Amupitan said the commission remained committed to complying with lawful court orders but noted that the Federal High Court was not the final court in the judicial process.
“We are going to comply with every lawful order of court. However, the Federal High Court is not the final court. So, we will study the judgment and see how it affects our operations and our timelines.”
He said INEC would thoroughly review the judgment and assess its implications for its electoral operations and statutory timelines.
INEC rejects reliance on unverified judgments
The INEC chairman also cautioned political parties and the public against relying on unverified court documents circulating on social media.
He said the commission would only act on authentic Certified True Copies (CTCs) of judicial decisions before making electoral or administrative decisions.
According to him, INEC could not properly analyse or implement a judgment until it had received the authentic document.
Amupitan also clarified that recent Supreme Court pronouncements concerning political parties and candidate eligibility should not automatically be interpreted as decisions disqualifying individual candidates.
INEC plans wider use of AI
The commission also disclosed plans to deploy Artificial Intelligence (AI) in selected areas ahead of the 2027 elections.
Amupitan said AI would be used to support electronic transmission, voter education and efforts to combat disinformation.
He said INEC was partnering with DIA, Microsoft and Google to strengthen the security and integrity of its technology systems.
The chairman said the commission’s recent electoral experience, including the conduct of the Osun governorship election, demonstrated improvements in its use of technology.
He also said INEC was taking measures to prevent underage persons from participating in elections, citing steps taken during the Osun governorship election.
Amupitan identified result management and staff welfare as areas requiring continued attention and said the commission was working to address the challenges.
He reaffirmed INEC’s willingness to engage stakeholders through constructive collaboration ahead of the 2027 general election.
