Court Strikes Down INEC’s 2027 Election Timetable, Says Commission Cannot Shorten Electoral Act Deadlines

Court Rules INEC Overstepped

A Federal High Court in Abuja has struck down key portions of INEC’s revised timetable for the 2027 general election, ruling that the electoral commission cannot impose deadlines that are tighter than what the Electoral Act 2026 allows.

Justice M.G. Umar delivered the judgment on Wednesday in suit FHC/ABJ/CS/517/2026, filed by the Youth Party against INEC. The court granted all the substantive reliefs the plaintiff asked for.

The judge made it clear: yes, INEC has powers under Sections 29, 82, and 84(1) of the Electoral Act to receive notices of party primaries and monitor those exercises. But those powers do not include fixing or prescribing timelines for when political parties must hold their primaries.

Five Deadlines the Court Struck Down

Justice Umar nullified five specific categories of deadlines that INEC had imposed.

On candidate submission, the court said Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act gives parties up to 120 days before an election to submit candidates’ personal particulars. INEC cannot shorten that.

On substitution, Section 31 allows parties to withdraw and replace candidates up to 90 days before an election. INEC cannot set an earlier deadline.

The commission also cannot publish the final list of candidates before the statutory 60-day minimum under Section 32. And the court voided INEC’s directive that campaigns must end two days before elections, saying Section 98 of the Act gives the commission no such authority.

Finally, the court said INEC’s timeframe for submitting membership registers does not apply to primaries held to replace candidates who have withdrawn.

What This Means for 2027

The ruling practically forces INEC to issue a fresh timetable that follows what the Electoral Act actually says. Under the now-voided schedule, all 18 political parties had to submit their membership registers by May 10 and wrap up primaries by the end of May. A lot of parties were scrambling to hit those dates.

The judgment also opens a door for politicians who lost out in recent primaries. They might now look for alternative platforms. The African Democratic Congress called the ruling a “vindication” of the objections it raised when INEC first issued the guidelines. ADC’s spokesman went further, saying the restriction was designed “to prevent people from leaving the ruling party, APC” and that the party expects a “mass exodus” in the coming days.

The Peoples Redemption Party also weighed in, saying the judgment “promotes the growth and development of the country’s democratic culture by restoring critical responsibilities to political parties.”

An INEC official told THISDAY the commission is reviewing the judgment and is expected to appeal.

Sources: BusinessDay, TheCable, THISDAY, The Digger News