Supreme Court restores Electoral Act provisions on party registers and primaries

The Supreme Court has restored four provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 that an appeal court had earlier struck down after a challenge involving political party membership registers and candidate nominations.

The ruling returns sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) to force, after the court allowed an appeal filed by the Independent National Electoral Commission. The affected sections deal with party membership records and the process for nominating candidates for elective offices.

A seven-member panel of the apex court gave the unanimous decision on Thursday. The court held that the disputed provisions were not inconsistent with the Constitution, reversing the Court of Appeal decision that had voided them.

The legal fight followed a suit started by the Zenith Labour Party at the Federal High Court. The Young Progressives Party and the Social Democratic Party were also named in the proceedings reported by the outlets.

The Court of Appeal had earlier ruled against the provisions, but INEC challenged that outcome at the Supreme Court. The apex court’s decision means the commission can continue to rely on the restored sections in handling party membership records and nomination rules.

Sources: Premium Times, Daily Post