The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to amend the timetable it released for the 2027 general elections, ruling that parts of the schedule violated provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
Delivering judgment on Tuesday, Justice James Omotosho held that while INEC possesses the constitutional authority to issue and revise election timetables, such powers must be exercised strictly within the confines of the law.
The court specifically ruled that the electoral body cannot shorten the statutory timelines provided under Sections 29(1) and 31 of the Electoral Act 2026 concerning the submission and substitution of candidates by political parties.
Justice Omotosho declared that INEC acted unlawfully by fixing deadlines that effectively reduced the mandatory 120-day period political parties are entitled to before elections for the submission of candidates’ particulars.
“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 before the date of election,” the judge ruled.
Consequently, the court voided INEC’s deadlines of August 29, 2026, and September 16, 2026, set for the submission of nomination forms for Presidential, National Assembly, Governorship, and State House of Assembly elections, declaring them inconsistent with the Electoral Act.
However, the court upheld INEC’s powers to demand membership registers from political parties and to fix timelines for the conduct of party primaries, noting that such actions fell within its statutory responsibilities.
The judgment followed a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/720/2026 filed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP), which challenged INEC’s revised election timetable.
The SDP, through its lead counsel, Mr. Realwan Okpanachi, argued that the Commission exceeded its legal powers by prescribing timelines for party primaries and by shortening the period allowed for the submission of candidates.
INEC’s legal team, led by Dr. Alex Izinyon, SAN, had urged the court to dismiss the suit, insisting the Commission acted within its constitutional mandate and arguing that the case was statute-barred.
But the court rejected that argument, holding that the suit was competent since it arose from a press statement issued by INEC on March 27.
Justice Omotosho further described an election timetable as a “chain of events and actions,” including party primaries, submission of membership registers, and nomination processes, all of which must comply with extant laws.
The ruling comes barely 24 hours after INEC filed an appeal against an earlier judgment delivered on May 20 in a similar case instituted by the Youth Party (YP), which also challenged aspects of the 2027 election timetable.
In its appeal, dated May 25, the Commission asked the Court of Appeal to set aside the earlier verdict and also sought a stay of execution pending the determination of the appeal.
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