Court of Appeal has upheld INEC’s 2027 Election Guidelines and overturned Federal High Court Judgment.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s guidelines for the conduct of the 2027 general elections, overturning an earlier judgment of the Federal High Court that nullified the regulations.
In a unanimous judgment delivered on Thursday, the three-member appellate panel set aside the May 20 ruling of the Federal High Court, declaring that the lower court erred in nullifying the electoral guidelines.
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Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Adebukola Banjoko held that the Youth Party (YP), which instituted the suit against INEC, lacked the legal standing (locus standi) to challenge the election guidelines.
According to the court, the party failed to demonstrate how the guidelines adversely affected its interests or those of its members in the conduct of its primary election and the nomination of candidates for the 2027 general elections.
The appellate court further ruled that the Youth Party did not establish how the guidelines impacted the submission of its nominated candidates to INEC.
The panel unanimously agreed that Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court erred in law when he nullified parts of the guidelines on the grounds that they allegedly contravened provisions of the Electoral Act.
The Court of Appeal held that the judgment occasioned a miscarriage of justice and therefore could not be allowed to stand.
INEC had appealed the High Court’s decision, arguing through its lead counsel, Dr. Alex Izinyom, that the lower court failed to determine critical jurisdictional issues and wrongly entertained what it described as a hypothetical and academic suit.
The electoral commission also contended that the proceedings amounted to a denial of fair hearing and urged the appellate court to restore its guidelines for the conduct of the 2027 general elections.
With Thursday’s judgment, the Court of Appeal has affirmed the validity of INEC’s election guidelines ahead of the 2027 polls.
Details later.
