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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it will carefully study the ruling of the Federal High Court in Abuja that struck down some aspects of its timetable for the 2027 general elections before deciding on its next course of action.
The commission’s position comes after the court ruled that it has no statutory powers to set or prescribe deadlines for political party primaries and nomination processes before general elections.
The ruling, delivered on Wednesday by Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja, arose from a lawsuit filed by the Youth Party, challenging INEC’s revised electoral calendar which sets deadlines for political parties to submit membership registers, conduct primaries and submit candidates’ nominations for the 2027 elections.
In its ruling, the court held that the provisions of sections 29, 82 and 84(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 do not authorize the Independent National Electoral Commission to shorten or impose deadlines on political parties with respect to the conduct of their primaries.
Justice Umar further held that while INEC has the power to receive notices of primaries, monitor party processes and manage candidates’ proposals, such powers do not extend to prescribing when parties must conduct their internal elections.
The court also criticized the commission for attempting to shorten the legally required timeframe for submitting candidate data, describing such action as inconsistent with electoral law.
The lawsuit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/517/2016, was brought by the Youth Party, which asked the court to determine the extent of INEC’s regulatory powers over party primaries ahead of the election.
Reacting to the development on Friday, INEC said it had not formally received the entered judgment and was not taking a final position based on media reports.
Director of voter education and publicity at the commission, Victoria Eta-Messi, said INEC would first review the entire ruling before determining next steps.
“We have not received the ruling and cannot comment on it. Yes, the ruling is in the public domain, but we do not know the reasons for the decision taken,” he said.
“So, you need to study the entire ruling and decide the next step to take.”
The ruling is expected to trigger new legal and administrative considerations within the electorate as preparations for the 2027 general elections continue.
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