The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved judgment in an appeal filed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) challenging a Court of Appeal judgment that voided provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 relating to political party primaries and membership registers.
The appeal, marked SC/CR/495/2026, arose from a suit filed by the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) at the Federal High Court in Abuja, challenging provisions of the Electoral Act which the party argued were inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution.
A seven-member panel of the apex court, presided over by Justice Adamu Jauro, reserved judgment after hearing arguments from the parties.
“This matter is now reserved for judgment, at a date to be communicated to the parties,” the judge said.
INEC is the appellant, while the Zenith Labour Party is the respondent.
The original suit, marked FHC/ABJ/509/2026, was filed by the ZLP against the disputed provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
The Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Mohammed Umar, dismissed the suit in a judgment delivered on May 5, 2026.
Dissatisfied with the decision, the ZLP appealed to the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal in Appeal No. CA/ABJ/CV/750/2026.
In its judgment delivered on July 16, 2026, the Court of Appeal allowed the appeal in part and voided provisions of the Electoral Act relating to political party primaries and membership registers.
The appellate court’s decision prompted INEC to approach the Supreme Court, according to the commission’s brief of argument filed in the appeal
