A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has set aside guidelines issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission Independent National Electoral Commission requiring political parties to submit a full register and database of members by May 10 as a condition for participation in the 2027 general elections.

Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice M.G. Umar ruled in favour of the Youth Party, holding that the electoral commission acted outside its legal limits by fixing a deadline shorter than what the Electoral Act provides.

The court found that Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 already sets a 120-day window before an election for submission of candidates’ particulars. It held that INEC cannot lawfully compress that timeframe through administrative guidelines.

Justice Umar stated that the commission’s directive on party membership registers conflicted with the statute and therefore could not stand.

With the ruling, political parties now have until September 2026 to submit updated membership lists, replacing the earlier May 10 deadline.

The decision also affects internal party processes ahead of the polls, as it creates room for realignments following primary elections.

The 2027 general elections are scheduled for January 16 for presidential and National Assembly contests, while governorship and state assembly elections are fixed for February 6. The electoral commission is led by Joash Amupitan.