A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has nullified several provisions of the election timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in a ruling that significantly alters preparations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The court decision effectively invalidates multiple deadlines contained in the commission’s schedule, offering relief to political parties that had challenged the restrictions.
The development has put the National Assembly, particularly, the Senate as well as the Independent National Electoral Commission under scrutiy, and as lacking direction as well as being partisan in their constitutional responsibilities.
Most Nigerians, including members of the ruling All Progressives Congress have criticised the two bodies for meddling into party matters by, for instance, dictating the mode of selecting their candidates and closing windows for defections.
Consequently, the presiding Judge, Justice Mohammed Umar, held that parts of INEC’s timetable were inconsistent with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026. He ruled that the commission exceeded its authority by imposing timelines that contradicted what the law stipulates.
One of the key provisions struck down was the May 10 deadline mandating political parties to submit their membership registers and databases as a condition for participation in the elections.
The matter was instituted by the Youth Party (YP), which argued that INEC lacked the legal backing to shorten or alter timelines already clearly defined in the Electoral Act. The party further maintained that only the law, not administrative guidelines, can regulate the timing of primaries and candidate submissions.
In his judgment, Justice Umar referenced Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, which allows political parties to submit candidates’ details up to 120 days before an election. He stated that INEC could not lawfully reduce this statutory timeframe through its administrative timetable.
The court also cited Section 31 of the Act, affirming that political parties are permitted to substitute or withdraw candidates up to 90 days before an election, making earlier cut-off dates imposed by INEC invalid.
Additionally, the ruling emphasized that the electoral body must not publish the final list of candidates earlier than 60 days before the election, as required by law.
Justice Umar further ruled that INEC had no legal authority to end election campaigns two days before polling day, as such a directive was not supported by any statutory provision.
The judgment also clarified that deadlines for submitting party membership registers do not apply in cases where primaries are conducted to replace withdrawn candidates.
Ultimately, the court struck out all portions of INEC’s revised timetable found to be inconsistent with the Electoral Act 2026, reinforcing the supremacy of the law over administrative electoral guidelines.
