Court has nullified INEC 2027 Election Timetable and opened fresh hope for disqualified aspirants.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that Federal High Court in Abuja has nullified the Independent National Electoral Commission Revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 General Election, a development expected to offer fresh hope to politicians who lost in recent party primary elections.
Justice Mohammed Garba Umar, in a landmark judgment, ruled that the timeframes imposed by INEC on political parties for the conduct of primaries, submission of candidates’ particulars, withdrawal, and replacement of candidates were inconsistent with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026.
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The court subsequently set aside the timetable provisions, describing them as unlawful.
The judgment followed a suit filed by the Youth Party against INEC, challenging the electoral body’s authority to prescribe strict timelines for political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to the Certified True Copy of the judgment in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/517/2016, the plaintiff argued that INEC lacked the statutory powers to fix timelines that effectively prevented aspirants who lost primaries from defecting to other political parties to pursue fresh nominations.
Delivering judgment, Justice Umar held that Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026, only requires political parties to submit candidates’ particulars not later than 120 days before an election, stressing that INEC cannot lawfully shorten that period through its timetable.
The court also ruled that under Section 31 of the Electoral Act, political parties retain the right to withdraw and substitute candidates up to 90 days before an election, adding that INEC lacked powers to impose earlier deadlines.
Justice Umar further held that INEC could not publish the final list of candidates before the 60-day period prescribed by law.
The court also faulted the commission’s directive on campaign deadlines, ruling that INEC had no statutory authority under Section 98 of the Electoral Act to mandate campaigns to end two days before elections.
In addition, the court declared that timelines prescribed by INEC for submission of party membership registers do not apply to replacement primaries conducted after candidate withdrawals.
“A Declaration is made that upon the proper construction of Section 98 of the Electoral Act, 2026, the defendant does not possess the statutory authority to fix in its timetable for the 2027 general elections for campaigns to end two days before the elections,” the judgment stated.
Justice Umar subsequently issued an order nullifying all aspects of the revised timetable found inconsistent with the Electoral Act, including timelines for primaries, candidate submissions, replacements, publication of final candidate lists, and campaign periods.
The ruling comes amid growing tension within several political parties, particularly the All Progressives Congress, where controversies surrounding alleged imposition of candidates and disputed primary elections have triggered protests and withdrawals by some aspirants.
Before the court judgment, political parties had already begun complying with INEC’s revised schedule, including the submission of membership registers and conduct of primary elections.
