INEC chairman, Amupitan says commission will comply with court judgment as preparations continue for elections involving more than 103 million registered voters.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that it will respect the Federal High Court judgment directing it to include Accord Party presidential candidate, Dr Gbenga Olawepo- Hashim, on the final list of candidates for the 2027 presidential election.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Thursday at an event organised by the National Orientation Agency (NOA), stating that another candidate had been added to the presidential race, bringing the total number to 19.
According to Amupitan, the commission would comply with the court’s decision concerning Hashim’s candidacy.
The development follows a Federal High Court judgment delivered in Abuja on October 5, 2026, directing Accord Party to recognise Hashim as its presidential candidate and submit his name to INEC.
The commission’s position marks a development in the dispute over Accord’s presidential ticket and confirms Hashim’s inclusion in the contest, subject to the official updated list.
Speaking at the NOA event, Amupitan described the 2027 general election as potentially the largest democratic exercise on the African continent and one of the most complex administrative undertakings in the world.
He cited Nigeria’s more than 103 million registered voters and 176,846 polling units across 774 local government areas as indicators of the scale of the exercise.
The figures underscore the logistical demands facing the commission as it prepares to conduct elections across the country.
The 2027 elections will involve multiple levels of voting, including the presidential, National Assembly, governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.
Hashim’s addition takes the presidential candidate count from 18, as reflected in the list published in September, to 19, according to the INEC chairman’s announcement.
The commission is expected to reflect the change in its official candidate records in compliance with the court judgment.
