Fallout Of Court Ruling On INEC: IPAC Advises Commission To Deepen Engagement With Pol Parties

By Ayodele Oni

The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), has hailed the Federal High Court Judgment which set aside guidelines for 2027 general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), describing it as victory for democracy and  Rule of Law.

IPAC expressed the hope that the ruling will prevent exclusionary conditions capable of disenfranchising aspirants and party members.

Publicity Secretary of the council, Comrade Egbeola Wale Martins, in a statement, pointed out that “the judgment of the Federal High Court affirming that while the INEC possesses supervisory powers over elections, it cannot prescribe binding timelines regulating how and when political parties conduct their internal primaries is timely”

“This judgment is a clear reaffirmation of constitutional supremacy and the rule of law. It is an aberration for INEC to attempt to rewrite the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria through administrative guidelines.

“INEC guidelines can never be superior to the Constitution or the provisions of extant laws governing the electoral process.

“While no one is questioning the powers of INEC to issue guidelines for the conduct of elections, such guidelines must operate strictly within the confines of the law.

“This judgment therefore represents a major victory for democracy, the rule of law, political parties and indeed all citizens of Nigeria.

“It restores the constitutional rights of political parties to manage their internal affairs in line with democratic principles and without unlawful administrative interference.

“Importantly, this judgment will enable political parties to provide all eligible members equal opportunity to participate in party primaries, while discouraging exclusionary conditions capable of disenfranchising aspirants and party members.

“IPAC also calls on the Chairman of INEC to deepen engagement and consultation with political parties, who remain the most important stakeholders in the electoral process.

“Greater collaboration and dialogue would have helped prevent this avoidable error and the unnecessary legal disputes arising from it.

“This development further validates IPAC’s consistent position that INEC’s attempt to compress and undertake too many electoral activities within a limited timeframe before elections could create confusion, administrative bottlenecks and exclusion within the electoral process.”

The judgement is expected to give room for aspirants that lost primary election of their party to decamp to other parties.