INEC yet to receive judgement nullifying key election schedules

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it will not comment on the Federal High Court judgement that voided parts of its revised timetable for the 2027 general elections until it receives and studies the ruling.

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INEC spokesperson, Mohammed Haruna, told PREMIUM TIMES on Friday that officials of the commission have only read about the judgement in the media, but have not received the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment.

Mr Haruna said the commission would study it upon receipt and take a position.

“We all read about the judgement yesterday and are yet to receive the Certified True Copy of it. Until we do and deliberate on it, I can’t comment on it,” he said in a text message to our reporter.

in a reply to enquiries about the recent judgement that voided key parts of the commission’s timelines set for political parties ahead of the 2027 election.

“Virtually all Commission members, including the chairman, are in Ekiti on assessment of our readiness for the 20 June 20 off-season Governorship election.”

The Ruling

The Federal High Court in Abuja had on Wednesday voided portions of INEC’s Revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 general elections, holding that the commission lacked powers to abridge timelines already provided for in the Electoral Act 2026.

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The judgement, delivered by Justice Mohammed Umar, in a suit filed by the Youth Party, specifically nullified timelines for party primaries, the submission of candidates’ particulars, the withdrawal and replacement of candidates, the publication of the final list of candidates, and the campaign periods.

The court held that while INEC has powers to monitor party primaries and receive notices from political parties, it cannot lawfully impose deadlines shorter than those stipulated by the Electoral Act.

According to the ruling, Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act requires political parties to submit personal particulars of candidates not later than 120 days before an election, while Section 31 allows withdrawal and substitution of candidates up to 90 days before the polls.

The court also ruled that INEC could not publish the final list of candidates earlier than the 60-day minimum period prescribed by law.

INEC’s initial timetable

INEC had earlier released a revised timetable for the 2027 elections, setting deadlines for political parties to conduct primaries and submit the names of candidates ahead of the presidential, National Assembly, governorship, and state assembly elections scheduled for February and March 2027.

Part of the timetable also required political parties to conduct their primaries between 23 April and 30 May, including resolving disputes arising from the exercises.