A FRESH wave of uncertainty has emerged ahead of the 2027 general elections after the Federal High Court in Abuja nullified key aspects of the election timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
News Point Nigeria reports that in a landmark judgment delivered by Justice Mohammed Umar, the court held that INEC exceeded its statutory powers by prescribing timelines for political parties to conduct primaries and carry out other pre-election activities outside the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026.
The suit was filed by the Youth Party against INEC and marked FHC/ABJ/CS/517/2026. In the originating summons dated March 11, the party sought six reliefs challenging portions of INEC’s Revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 General Elections.
Delivering judgment, Justice Umar granted all six reliefs sought by the plaintiff and ruled that INEC lacked the legal authority to determine or impose the timeframe within which political parties must conduct their primaries for the nomination of candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.
The court declared that INEC’s powers to receive notices of party primaries, monitor such exercises, and obtain candidates’ personal particulars do not include the authority to fix dates for political parties to conduct their primaries.
Justice Umar further held that the electoral body cannot lawfully shorten statutory timelines already guaranteed under the Electoral Act, 2026.
According to the judgment, Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act provides that political parties must submit the personal particulars of their candidates not later than 120 days before an election, and INEC cannot impose an earlier deadline.
The court also ruled that under Section 31 of the Electoral Act, political parties are permitted to withdraw and substitute candidates up to 90 days before an election, adding that INEC has no authority to fix an earlier cutoff date for such substitutions.
Justice Umar equally declared that INEC cannot publish the final list of candidates earlier than the 60-day minimum period stipulated by law.
On campaign activities, the judge held that INEC lacked the statutory authority under Section 98 of the Electoral Act, 2026, to mandate that campaigns must end two days before elections.
The court further clarified that the timeframe prescribed by INEC for submission of membership registers for party primaries does not apply in cases involving replacement of withdrawn candidates.
Consequently, the court set aside and nullified the portions of INEC’s Revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 General Elections found to be inconsistent with the Electoral Act, 2026.
Justice Umar held that the timelines fixed by INEC for the conduct of party primaries, submission of candidates’ personal particulars, and campaign activities were inconsistent with the provisions of the law and therefore invalid.
The ruling is expected to have significant implications for preparations toward the 2027 general elections, as political parties and electoral stakeholders await INEC’s next line of action following the judgment.