Ahead of the 2027 general elections, political parties have secured a major legal victory after a Federal High Court in Abuja nullified portions of the timetable issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for party primaries and candidate nominations.
In a judgment delivered by Justice Mohammed Umar, the court also set aside INEC’s May 10 deadline requiring political parties to submit their membership registers and databases as a condition for participating in the elections.
The court ruled that the timelines imposed by INEC for the conduct of party primaries, submission of candidates’ particulars, and replacement of candidates were inconsistent with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
The ruling followed a suit filed by the Youth Party (YP), which sought to compel INEC to comply with the Electoral Act’s 120-day deadline for the submission of party registers and candidates’ details.
Although the judgment was delivered on Wednesday, the Certified True Copy (CTC) became available on Thursday.
INEC was the sole defendant in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/517/2016.
The Youth Party had asked the court to determine whether INEC possessed the legal authority under Sections 29, 82, and 84(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 to fix or prescribe timelines for political parties to conduct primaries ahead of the 2027 elections.
In his ruling, Justice Umar agreed with the plaintiff and held that INEC lacked the statutory powers to shorten timelines already guaranteed under the Electoral Act.
The judge stated that under Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, political parties are required to submit candidates’ particulars not later than 120 days before an election, and therefore:
“INEC cannot lawfully abridge or limit that statutory period by prescribing a shorter timeframe in its 2027 election timetable.”
The court also ruled that under Section 31 of the Electoral Act, which permits political parties to withdraw or substitute candidates up to 90 days before an election, INEC could not legally impose an earlier deadline.
Justice Umar further held that INEC lacked the authority under Section 32 of the Electoral Act 2026 to publish the final list of candidates earlier than the legally prescribed 60-day minimum period before elections.
Among other declarations made by the court was that INEC could not lawfully direct political campaigns to end two days before elections, as stated in its revised timetable.
“A Declaration is made that upon the proper construction of Section 98 of the Electoral Act, 2026, the defendant does not possess the statutory authority to fix in its timetable for the 2027 general elections for campaigns to end 2 days before the elections,” the court ruled.
The court also declared that the timeline for submission of membership registers does not apply to primaries conducted to replace withdrawn candidates.
Consequently, Justice Umar ordered the nullification of all portions of INEC’s revised timetable that conflict with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
The judgment has since drawn reactions from political stakeholders.
The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) and several other political parties called on INEC to comply with the ruling and revise its election timetable accordingly.
Acting National Chairman of CUPP, Peter Ameh, described the ruling as a victory for democracy and constitutional order.
“We commend the Federal High Court for this progressive and constitution-aligned judgment. INEC must immediately obey this ruling and adjust its timetable accordingly,” Ameh said.
“Any decision to appeal the judgment will create unnecessary uncertainty, erode public confidence and undermine the credibility of the 2027 general elections.”
Ameh disclosed that at least 14 political parties had already resolved to extend their internal electoral timetables to accommodate defectors and allow for a more inclusive nomination process.
The parties argued that the judgment would strengthen internal democracy, promote party autonomy, and protect the rights of aspirants.
Former presidential candidate Gbenga Hashim also welcomed the ruling, saying it validated his longstanding criticism of INEC’s election timetable.
“This judgment has now vindicated that position,” Hashim said, referring to his previous warnings that INEC had exceeded its legal powers.
“I have consistently argued that INEC must act within the confines of the Electoral Act. Unfortunately, those warnings were not heeded.”
Hashim praised Justice Umar for what he described as a courageous judgment that reinforced the supremacy of the law and protected the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process.
