Court nullifies INEC deadline, gives parties till September 2026 to submit membership registers

A ray of hope has come the way of many politicians who lost in the recent primary elections conducted by political parties, following the nullification of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 General Election by a Federal High Court in Abuja.

Justice Mohammed Garba Umar, in a judgment, held that the timeframe “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,” and is hereby set aside.

The judgment was in respect of a suit challenging the electoral umpire’s timeframe for the conduct of the 2027 general elections, aimed at preventing people who lost in primary elections from defecting to another party and vying for the same office they earlier lost in their former party.

A Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment order revealed that the suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/517/2016 and filed by the Youth Party, has INEC as the sole defendant.

The plaintiff in the suit, dated and filed on March 11 by its counsel, J. O. Olotu, sought several reliefs, including a declaration that, upon a proper consideration and interpretation of the provisions of Sections 29, 82 and 84(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026, the powers of INEC to receive notice of party primaries and the personal particulars of candidates, and its duty to attend, observe and monitor such primaries, do not extend to fixing or prescribing the timetable within which political parties may conduct their primary elections for the purpose of nominating candidates for the 2027 general elections.

“After hearing J. O. Olotu, counsel for the plaintiff, and Sarafa Yusuf, counsel for the defendant,” Justice Umar held that, 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 before an election, “INEC cannot lawfully abridge or limit that statutory period by prescribing a shorter timeframe in its 2027 election timetable.”

Similarly, citing Section 31 of the Electoral Act, 2026, which permits political parties to withdraw and substitute candidates not later than 90 days before the conduct of an election, the court held that INEC lacks the power to abridge or limit that statutory period by fixing an earlier deadline for the withdrawal and replacement of candidates in its 2027 election timetable.

Justice Umar, in addition, held that by the provisions of Section 32 of the Electoral Act, 2026, INEC does not possess the statutory power to publish the final list of candidates for the 2027 general election before the 60-day minimum period prescribed by law.

“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 two days before the elections.

“A Declaration is made that upon the proper interpretation of Section 33 of the Electoral Act, 2026, the timeframe prescribed by the defendant for submission of membership registers for the conduct of primary elections is not applicable to primary elections conducted for the purpose of replacing withdrawn candidates.”

Justice Umar subsequently made an order “setting aside or nullifying the timeframes imposed by the defendant in its Revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 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.”

By the revised timetable, all 18 political parties are to submit their membership registers to the commission by May 10, conduct primaries for the selection of candidates, as well as apply for withdrawal and submit replacement candidates for the 2027 general elections before or by the end of May.

While all parties have complied with the regulation and are currently conducting their primaries, the outcome, especially for the ruling All Progressives Congress, has met with strong protests in some states, with many candidates withdrawing from the race over alleged imposition of candidates, among other complaints.

Court nullifies INEC deadline, gives parties till September 2026 to submit membership registers