• After losing outing in APC primary, Pantami switches parties, now PDP governorship candidate in Gombe
Alex Enumah, Sunday Aborisade in Abuja, Segun Awofadeji in Gombe and Laleye Dipo in Minna
Justice James Omotosho of a Federal High Court in Abuja, has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to amend its revised time-table for the conduct of the 2027 general elections, in compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
Omotosho issued the order on Tuesday while delivering judgment in the suit brought against the commission by the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
The particular areas the court wants to conform with the Electoral Act has to do with the timeframe for political parties to submit their membership register and also substitute names of candidates nominated for the 2027 polls.
While INEC had in its revised time-table directed parties to submit their membership register to the commission on or before May 10, and submit names of candidates for the 2027 polls on or before May 30, the court observed that the timeframe was inconsistent with the 120 days and 90 days provided by the law.
Omotosho in the judgement held that while the constitution empowers the electoral umpire to fix a time-table for the conduct of elections, such a time-table must however be in accordance with the Electoral Act.
SDP had last month dragged INEC to court over the commission’s revised time-table that While noting that Section 31 of the Electoral Act, 2026 stipulates a timeframe of 90 days for parties to substitute candidates in an election, Omotosho observed that INEC’s revised timetable however stipulated August 22, 2026 and September 19, 2026 as the date for candidates for Presidential and National Assembly elections and Governorship and House of Assembly.
These dates are far larger than the 90 days allowed by the Electoral Act, 2026. This means that the Timetable has reduced the timeframe for parties to submit withdrawal to the Defendant.
The Defendant therefore acted ultra vires its powers by reducing the time allowed by political parties to convey withdrawals and sworn affidavit to the Defendant contrary to the 90 days stipulated by the Electoral Act, 2026.
The court specifically faulted the action of the commission in respect of Sections 29 and 31 of the Electoral Act, 2026. the time for political parties to submit their membership register, including names of their candidates for the 2027 general elections slated for january next year.
The plaintiff in the marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/720/2026 and filed on April 9, asked to court to determine among others, “whether having regard to Sections 82 and 84(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026, the defendant’s powers to receive notices, attend, observe and monitor party primaries extend to fixing or prescribing the timetable within which political parties must conduct their primaries.”
However, delivering judgement in the matter on Tuesday, Omotosho held that INEC has the powers to issue timetable for elections and alter it as it deems fit.
Besides, the court held that the 2027 election time-table issued by INEC was valid and legally issued, as the law empowers it to state “timeframe within which political parties are to hold their primaries”, including “stating timeframe for the submission of membership registers of political parties.”
The court however, declared that INEC cannot in the process of fixing a time-table for election abridge the timeframe for parties to submit the names of their candidates for the 2027 general elections.
“Now the Presidential and National Assembly elections are fixed for January 16, 2027 while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are fixed for February 6, 2027.
“Calculating the period of deadline for submission of nominated candidates and the elections, it is clear that the deadlines set are greater than the 120 days allowed by the Electoral Act, 2026. For the period between the last date of submission of nomination forms for candidates for Presidential and National Assembly elections by political parties and the election itself is 140 days as stated in the timetable. While for the Governorship and House of Assembly elections It is 133 days.
“This implies that the timetable has reduced the time allowed by political parties by periods of 20 days and 13 days respectively. This is definitely not in line with the provisions of Section 29 (1) of the Electoral Act 2026. The Defendant cannot enlarge or reduce time frames contained in the Electoral Act. It can only issue the timetable to fall within the statutorily provided timelines”.
The court further held that the commission cannot also abridge the timeframe for parties to substitute candidates in the forthcoming general elections.
While observing that INEC in the revised timetable had fixed August 22, 2026 and September 19, 2026 as the date for candidates for Presidential and National Assembly elections and Governorship and House of Assembly, Omotosho held that, “These dates are far larger than the 90 days allowed by the Electoral Act, 2026.
He said, “This means that the timetable has reduced the timeframe for parties to submit withdrawal to the defendant.
“The defendant therefore acted ultra vires its powers by reducing the time allowed by political parties to convey withdrawals and sworn affidavit to the deferidant contrary to the 90 days stipulated by the Electoral Act, 2026”.
He subsequently declared that INEC “cannot lawfully abridge or vary the 90 days period for substitution of candidates under Section 31 of the Electoral Act, 2026.
“This honourable court hereby declared that the defendant cannot abridge the time stipulated in Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026 given to political parties to submit the names of their candidates at least 120 days to the date of election.
“This honourable court hereby declared that the defendant is hereby ordered to amend the Election Timetable 2027 and Schedule of Activities in compliance with Sections 29 (1) & 31 of the Electoral Act, 2026”, Omotosho held.
While declaring that INEC’s requesting for membership register of political parties and giving timeframe within which to conduct primaries is not ultra vires its powers of the defendant, Omotosho, “declared that the deadline of August 29, 2026 and September 16, 2026, fixed for political parties to submit nomination forms for candidates for Presidential and National Assembly Elections, as well as Governorship and House of Assembly Elections, is void to the extent of its Inconsistencies with the clear provisions of Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act 2026.”
It will be recalled that the same Federal High Court, Abuja, had last week nullified the same sections of the revised time-table for being inconsistent with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
Although, INEC has approached the appellate court to challenge the decision of the trial court on the suit filed by the Youth Party.
Justice Mohammed Umar had nullified some sections of the INEC’s Revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for 2027 General Election on the grounds that the time-frame “imposed” by INEC on political parties to conduct their primaries, submit, withdraw and replace names and particulars of their candidates for the 2027 general elections, “is inconsistent with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026”.
According to Justice Umar going by the provisions of Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026 which requires political parties to submit the personal particulars of their candidates not later than 120 days to an election, “INEC cannot lawfully abridge or limit that statutory period by prescribing a shorter timeframe in its 2027 election timetable”.
He accordingly made an order, “setting aside or nullifying the time-frames imposed by the defendant in its Revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for 2027 General Election for the conduct of primary elections by political parties for the 2027 general elections, the submission of personal particulars of candidates by their political parties for the 2027 general elections, the withdrawal and replacement of candidates by political parties for the 2027 general elections, the publication of the final list of candidates for the 2027 general elections and campaigning for the 2027 general elections which is inconsistent with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026”.
However, Omotosho in his own judgement on Friday ordered INEC to amend the affected sections to comply with the 120 and 90 days as provided by the Electoral Act, 2026.
After Losing Outing in APC Primary, Pantami Switches Parties, Now PDP Governorship Candidate in Gombe
Meanwhile, a former Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has left the All Progressives Congress (APC) to join the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and clinched the governorship ticket of the party. A direct fallout of the recent court ruling that sets aside INEC’s Revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 general election released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Justice Mohammed Umar, in a judgement, held that the time-frame “imposed” by INEC on political parties to conduct their primaries, submit, withdraw, and replace names and particulars of their candidates for the 2027 general election “is inconsistent with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026”, and, therefore, set it aside.
The judgement was in respect of a suit challeng-ing INEC’s time-frame for the conduct of the 2027 general election, primarily aimed at preventing peo-ple, who lost in primary elections from defecting to other parties and vying for the same offices they had earlier lost in their former parties.
Pantami emerged through a voice affirmation during a primary election held yesterday in Gombe.
He was declared the sole aspirant by the Chairman of the PDP Electoral Panel, Hon. Gregory Yenlong.
Speaking shortly after he was declared winner, Pantami said he contested for the seat to offer service to people of the state.
He pledged that if elected in 2027, he would govern with fairness and justice.
Pantami is now up against Jamilu Gwamna, the gubernatorial candidate of the APC in Gombe.
Earlier, Pantami had kicked against the process that produced Gwamna as consensus candidate of the APC.
He had opted for primaries but pulled out of the exercise on the eve of the election, alleging lack of transparency.
Days after the primaries of the APC, four gubernatorial aspirants of the PDP raised the alarm that there was an attempt to smuggle Pantami into the PDP gubernatorial race.
In a communique issued after an emergency meeting on Sunday in Gombe, the aspirants, Alhaji Abdulkadir Hamma Saleh, Hon. Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki, Hon. Usman Aliyu Garry and Mrs Monica Kaltho, said the law did not permit a candidate to defect from one political party to another and subsequently contest the same election process after votes have already been cast and counted in his favour in another party’s primaries.
The aspirants said they welcomed every well-meaning individual into the PDP, but strongly object to any attempt to involve a person who already contested primaries in another party.
But on Tuesday, PDP stakeholders chose Pantami as the right man to fly the party’s flag.
Ropshik Wins Plateau PDP Ticket
Prominent businessman and philanthropist, Chief Kefas Wungak Ropshik, has emerged the governorship candidate of the PDP in Plateau State after defeating three other aspirants in a keenly contested primary election.
A statement by his Media Office in Abuja explained that Ropshik secured 19,938 votes in the exercise, which attracted delegates and party faithful from the 17 local government areas of the state, underscoring the intensity of the contest and the widespread participation within the party.
His emergence is being viewed as a major political breakthrough for the Kanke Local Government-born politician, whose grassroots mobilisation and extensive consultations across the state reportedly strengthened his support base ahead of the primary.
Addressing delegates and supporters shortly after he was declared winner, Ropshik described his victory as a collective mandate for a new Plateau founded on unity, security, prosperity and inclusive governance.
Kutagi Picks ADC Guber Ticket in Niger
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has announced Dr Idris Kutagi as the winner of its gubernatorial primary election held across the state on Monday
Kutagi, who hails from Mokwa town will slug it out with incumbent Governor, Mohammed Umaru Ba-go of the APC.
Kutagi won in 24 out of the 25 local governments polling 67,924 votes to defeat his lone challenger, Alhaji Idris Usman, who scored 21,769 votes winning only in Bida his local government area of origin.
Secretary of the Electoral Committee for the state, Mr Ibrahim Mohammed, who announced the results said the election was held in a “free and transparent manner.”
