Supreme Court’s Verdict: Pantami, Mustapha, Chinda Await INEC’s Position

Some candidates whose mandates appear to be at stake following the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on the Electoral Act yesterday said they were waiting for the position of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the matter. Some of them spoke to LEADERSHIP yesterday.

This comes ahead of INEC’s world press conference today in Abuja where it is expected to make its position known on the apex court’s verdict on the Electoral Act. INEC had told LEADERSHIP that it would review the verdict before publishing the list of candidates, especially for governorship elections.

Recall that the Supreme Court upheld INEC’s appeal against the July 16 judgment of the Court of Appeal, which voided provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 relating to political party membership registers and the nomination of candidates.

The seven-member panel led by Justice Adamu Jauro set aside the Court of Appeal judgment and restored the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which had earlier dismissed a challenge by the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

Some of the candidates whose mandates are seemingly shaky on account of the apex court ruling are former Inspector-General of Police and SDP governorship candidate in Nasarawa State, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu; former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy and PDP governorship candidate in Gombe, Professor Isa Ali Pantami; and APC governorship candidate in Rivers State, Hon. Kingsley Chinda; former Deputy Senate President and NDC candidate in Delta State, Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege; and Senator Saliu Mustapha in Kwara State. They had previously dismissed reports of their candidacy being in jeopardy.

However, responding to LEADERSHIP yesterday, a source in Senator Saliu Mustapha’s team said they would want to know INEC’s position on the Supreme Court’s judgment before making any comment on it.
The source asked our reporter, “Please, what is the position of INEC?”

Barrister Attahir Ibrahim, a spokesman for the Pantamiyya Movement and one of Professor Pantami’s legal team, also told LEADERSHIP that they will not predict or pre-empt what INEC will decide.

“INEC is an independent institution. So we wait for their decision. But our confidence is strong because we followed all the guidelines and there is no need for concern. So let’s wait for their outcome tomorrow and then we talk,” he said.

Similarly, Chief Oby Ndukwe, a close political ally of the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Kingsley Chinda, maintained that the governorship hopeful has no issues with the recent judgment of the Supreme Court, adding however that they await INEC’s reading of the judgment.

Ndukwe, who disclosed this in an interview with LEADERSHIP in Port Harcourt on Monday, was speaking on Chinda’s prospects as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) takes a position on the apex court judgment on Tuesday.

“I think the best thing for us all to do is to keep our fingers crossed and wait to hear from INEC. Again, like we had assured you, I don’t have any fear as regards O. K. Chinda because he did the proper thing.

“He defected and of course, his name is in the register that was used to conduct the primaries. I think where people are missing it is because the Speaker of the House of Representatives announced his defection on June 2 after he had declared. He had even submitted a letter to the Speaker on April 23, making his intentions known.

“But the law is very clear on where you defect and where you join a party. It is at the ward level and not on the floor of the Chambers. The question should be: was his name contained in the register of the APC? And once that is settled, there is no issue anymore,” she said.

On his part, APC publicity secretary in the state, Hon. Chibike Ikenga, told LEADERSHIP that the Supreme Court judgment affected the party and its governorship candidate in the state positively.

Ikenga stated that those who are thinking otherwise are those who do not mean well for the APC governorship candidate in the state.

He said: “The Supreme Court judgment affected us positively. Rt. Hon. O. K. Chinda met all the conditions precedent for this election and is qualified and his name is in the INEC portal and will still appear tomorrow. We have no issues with our candidate.

“So, those who are peddling these stories are those who are praying for his downfall and you know, God does not reward people like that. God has already given him the opportunity to meet the conditions, to become the candidate and he will be the governor.”