BREAKING: Court invalidates 2027 INEC timetable, voids deadline for primaries and nomination of candidates

Political parties have been granted relief ahead of the 2027 general elections following a Federal High Court judgment in Abuja that invalidated the timetable issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for party primaries and candidate nomination processes.

The court, presided over by Justice Mohammed Umar, also set aside INEC’s May 10 deadline requiring political parties to submit their membership registers and databases as a condition for participation in the elections.

Delivering judgment, the court held that the timelines imposed by INEC for primaries, nomination, withdrawal, and substitution of candidates were inconsistent with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026.

The suit was filed by the Youth Party (YP), which asked the court to compel INEC to comply strictly with statutory provisions, particularly the 120-day pre-election requirement for submission of candidates’ particulars.

INEC, listed as the sole defendant in the case marked FHC/ABJ/CS/517/2016, had earlier insisted that its timetable was necessary for smooth election planning.

However, Justice Umar ruled that Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act clearly provides that candidates’ particulars must be submitted not later than 120 days before an election, adding that INEC cannot lawfully abridge that timeline.

The court also relied on Section 31 of the Act, which allows political parties to withdraw and substitute candidates not later than 90 days before an election, and Section 32, which bars INEC from publishing final candidate lists earlier than 60 days to the poll.

Among other declarations, the court further held that INEC has no power to fix campaign deadlines that end earlier than prescribed by law.

The judgment effectively nullifies INEC’s revised 2027 election timetable in so far as it conflicts with the Electoral Act, including provisions on primaries, nomination, substitution of candidates, publication of final lists, and campaign timelines.

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