A Federal High Court in Abuja has nullified the election timetable issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission for party primaries and candidate nominations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a judgment delivered by Justice Mohammed Umar, the court also set aside INEC’s May 10 deadline that required political parties to submit a register and database of their members as a condition for participation in the polls.
The court held that INEC’s timetable for conducting party primaries, as well as for the submission, withdrawal, and replacement of candidates, was inconsistent with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026.
The ruling followed a suit filed by the Youth Party, which asked the court to compel INEC to comply strictly with statutory timelines, particularly the 120-day deadline for submission of party registers and candidate particulars ahead of an election.
In the case marked FHC/ABJ/CS/517/2016, INEC was listed as the sole defendant.
The Youth Party argued that under Sections 29, 82, and 84(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026, INEC’s role is limited to receiving notices of primaries, monitoring them, and handling candidate documentation, and does not extend to setting deadlines for party primaries.
Justice Umar agreed, ruling that Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act requires political parties to submit candidates’ particulars not later than 120 days before an election, and that INEC cannot lawfully shorten that statutory window through its timetable for the 2027 elections.
The court further held that Section 31 of the Electoral Act allows political parties to withdraw and substitute candidates up to 90 days before an election, and that INEC lacks authority to impose an earlier cut-off date.
INEC had previously directed parties to submit their membership registers at least 21 days before their primaries, initially setting April 21, 2026, as the deadline before later extending it to May 10, 2026.
On May 15, INEC confirmed that all 22 registered political parties had submitted their membership registers in compliance with the Electoral Act, 2026.
