The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday directed 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 who challenged INEC’s refusal to grant the party electronic access to upload their candidates’ details for the election.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1907/25, was instituted following INEC’s alleged failure to recognise the list of candidates forwarded by the ADC leadership under its chairman, David Mark.
In his ruling, Justice Umar held that the evidence presented by the plaintiffs was credible and deserving of probative value, adding that the claimants had established their case beyond a reasonable doubt.
“The evidence provided by the plaintiffs was credible enough for the court to attach a more probative value,” the judge said, granting all the reliefs sought in the originating summons.
Justice Umar 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 also directed INEC to grant the ADC electronic access to upload the candidates’ names on its portal, relying on Sections 29(1), 31, 33 and 84(1)(5)(6) of the Electoral Act 2022, as well as relevant INEC guidelines.
The candidates listed for upload 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 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 said the first to the 16th plaintiffs participated in the ADC primary election following 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.
According to her, after their emergence, the party attempted to upload their details on the INEC portal but was denied access.
“She stated that after their emergence, the ADC made efforts to upload our INEC Forms EC9 and EC13 categories to the portal but could not get access to do so,” the affidavit read.
Goodness further told the court that correspondence between the ICT departments of both organisations revealed that the substitution notification letter from the ADC was the issue, as the access code previously issued to the party could not be used by the current leadership.
She explained that INEC did not recognise the signatures of the ADC’s current National Chairman and National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola.
The plaintiffs also alleged that INEC refused to accept a letter from their counsel, Kalu Agu, requesting electronic access for the ADC to upload the candidates’ names.
“INEC is hell-bent on denying ADC access to upload our names on the INEC portal,” they submitted.
One of the key issues for determination, the court noted, was whether INEC, under the Electoral Act and its own guidelines, was obligated 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 requested access and publish the candidates’ names accordingly.
