Adamu Stands Firm as SDP Candidate in Nasarawa Despite Court Ruling

Former Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has said he will continue as the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate in Nasarawa State. This is despite questions about some 2027 nominations after a Supreme Court ruling on the Electoral Act.

Adamu’s campaign team stated that the judgement on September 24 did not disqualify him, cancel the SDP’s membership register, or invalidate the direct primary that made him the party’s candidate.

This news comes as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) looks into the effects of the Supreme Court ruling. The ruling restored parts of the Electoral Act 2026 that relate to party membership registers and candidate nominations.

INEC’s Deputy Director for Voter Education and Publicity, Wilfred Ifogah, mentioned that the commission plans to get the Certified True Copy of the judgement. They will review it before deciding what to do next. "The Commission has to meet after receiving the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgement," Mr Ifogah said when asked about the ruling's implications.

Adamu’s Stand

Otaru Douglas, who is Adamu’s director of digital media and strategic communications, said the Supreme Court ruling was not aimed at Adamu or the SDP. "The judgement is a general affirmation of INEC’s regulatory powers over party membership registers. It is not a judgement against the Social Democratic Party, nor against Rtd. IGP Mohammed Abubakar Adamu," Douglas stated.

He added that no court has canceled the SDP’s membership register, invalidated the direct primary that led to Adamu’s nomination, or directed INEC to take his name off the ballot. Douglas also said the SDP followed the law when it submitted its membership register to INEC. He noted that the nomination process that produced Adamu complied with Section 84(2) through a direct primary supervised by INEC.

Douglas insisted that Adamu’s candidacy is still valid. The SDP has also said that Adamu had been a member of the party for about three months before the governorship primary. They argue that his nomination was not affected by the Supreme Court ruling.

What the Supreme Court Decided

On September 24, the Supreme Court upheld INEC’s appeal against a July 16 judgement from the Court of Appeal. That earlier ruling had voided parts of the Electoral Act 2026 concerning political party membership registers and candidate nominations.

A seven-member panel led by Justice Adamu Jauro overturned the Court of Appeal judgement. They restored an earlier Federal High Court decision that dismissed the challenge to these provisions. The Supreme Court confirmed the validity of Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7), and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026.

Section 77 deals with political parties' membership registers, including requirements for registers submitted to INEC before primaries. Section 84(2) allows for the nomination of candidates through direct primaries or consensus.

The case began with a legal challenge from the Zenith Labour Party regarding these provisions. The Supreme Court did not name Adamu or any other candidate in its ruling or issue an order disqualifying him from the Nasarawa governorship election.

Still, the judgement's practical implications for individual candidates have sparked discussions among political parties and lawyers. Some candidates maintain that their nominations are still valid.

Adamu’s Previous Candidacy Issues

This recent development follows weeks of uncertainty about Adamu’s candidacy. Initially, INEC had listed Musa Angbazo as the SDP’s Nasarawa governorship candidate. But the party later replaced him with Adamu after a new primary in September.

Adamu won the replacement primary after Angbazo withdrew from the race. This primary took place across the 13 local government areas of Nasarawa State, with 28,637 delegates reported to have participated.

Adamu, who finished second in the APC governorship primary, then switched to the SDP to continue his quest for the Nasarawa governorship. As of now, INEC has not announced any decision to remove Adamu from the 2027 governorship race.

Ifogah confirmed that the commission would first receive and review the Certified True Copy of the Supreme Court judgement before deciding on the next steps. Meanwhile, the SDP insists that the Supreme Court ruling does not impact Adamu’s status as their candidate. Adamu will continue to be at the center of discussions about how the restored Electoral Act provisions apply to candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.