Court Nullifies INEC's 2027 Election Timetable

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

An Abuja Federal High Court, presided over by Honourable Justice Mohammed Umar, has nullified the Independent National Electoral Commission’s timeframe within which political parties are expected to submit the digital list of their membership, conduct primaries, submit or withdraw names of their candidates for the purpose of 2027 polls.

The Electoral umpire had fixed May 10, 2026,and May 30, 2026, as the dateline for political parties to submit their full and digital membership registers, conduct primaries, as well as submit names of their candidates for the purpose of the 2027 polls.

But in a judgement which may have offered a glimmer of hope to otherwise frustrated aspirants to seek political greener pastures in other parties, Justice Mohammed, on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, held that the timetable as rolled out by INEC is in gross violation of the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.

According to him, the timeframe “imposed” by the INEC on political parties within which to conduct their primaries, submit, withdraw, and replace names and particulars of their candidates for the 2027 general elections “is inconsistent with the Electoral Act.”

Justice Mohammed ruled that going by the provisions of Section 29( 1) of the Electoral Act , political parties are to submit the particulars of their candidates not later than 120 days to the election proper.

Justice Mohammed while ruling on a motion on notice filed by the Youth Party also held that by the provisions of Section 32 of the same Electoral Act, the INEC does not have the statutory power to publish the final lists of candidates for the 2027 general elections before the 60 days minimum period prescribed by the law.

“After hearing J. O. Olotu, Counsel to the Plaintiff and Sarafa Yusuf, Counsel to the defendant, Justice Umar held that going by the provisions of Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which requires political parties to submit the personal particulars of their candidates not later than 120 days to an election, “INEC cannot lawfully abridge or limit that statutory period by prescribing a shorter timeframe in its 2027 timetable.”

In the Certified True Copy, CTC, of the judgment order in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/517/2026 and in which the INEC was the only defendant, the trial Judge similarly held that the electoral umpire lacks the power to abridge the statutory 90 days provided by the Electoral Act for political parties to withdraw and replace their candidates in the 2027 elections.

“A declaration is made that upon the proper construction.of Section 98 of the Electoral Act, 2026, the defendant (INEC), does not possess the statutory authority to fix its timetable for the 2027 general elections for campaign to end two days before the elections.

“A declaration is made that upon the proper interpretation to Section 33 of the Electoral Act, 2026, the timeframe prescribed by the Defendant for submission of membership registers for the conduct of primary elections is NOT applicable to primary elections conducted for the purpose of replacing withdraw candidates.”

Justice Mohammed subsequently made an order setting aside the timeframes imposed by the defendant in its Revised Timetable and Activities for the 2027 General Elections – for the conduct of primary elections ,the submission of personal particulars of cando by their political parties for the 2027 general elections, the withdrawal and replacement of candidates by political parties for the 2027 general elections ,the publication of the final list.of candidates.for the 2027 general elections and campaigning for the 2027 general elections which is inconsistent with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026″.