He noted that the commission’s decision was anchored on a subsisting court order, not arbitrary discretion. There was an order of court,” he said. The INEC chairman said the court had specifically directed parties to refrain from any action capable of undermining pending proceedings. Drawing on past precedents, Amupitan cautioned that defying court orders could invalidate election results, with the candidate with the second-highest votes ultimately being declared winner. “It happened in Plateau State during the last election… failure to obey the court order has consequences,” Amupitan said.

Source: Punch April 03, 2026 12:56 UTC