The Independent National Electoral Commission (Independent National Electoral Commission) says it will review a Federal High Court ruling that nullified its timetable for party primaries and candidate nominations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The ruling, delivered in Abuja, held that INEC exceeded its legal authority by setting deadlines for political parties’ internal processes. The court said the commission does not have the power under the Electoral Act, 2026 to fix or shorten timelines for primaries or nomination procedures.
The now-voided timetable had required political parties to submit membership registers by May 10, conduct primaries, and complete withdrawals and substitutions of candidates before the end of May.
In its decision, the court maintained that INEC’s statutory role is limited to receiving notices of primaries, monitoring the process, and collecting candidate information, not prescribing schedules for party activities.
“A declaration is hereby made that the powers of the defendant… do not extend to fixing or prescribing the timetable within which political parties may conduct their primary elections,” the court ruled.
It further stated that INEC cannot lawfully reduce the time provided for political parties to submit candidate particulars under the law.
Reacting to the judgment, INEC said it would study the full decision before deciding its next step.
“We have not received the judgment, and we cannot comment on it,” said Victoria Eta-Messi, Director of Voter Education and Publicity. “The judgment is in the public domain, but we need to study the entire ruling to understand the reasoning before taking a position.”
The commission added that its legal team would review the court’s interpretation of the Electoral Act, 2026 and determine whether to comply with the ruling or pursue further legal options.
