The Court of Appeal in Abuja has restored the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s revised timetable and guidelines for the 2027 general elections, clearing the way for the electoral process to continue as planned.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the unanimous judgment was delivered by a three-member panel on Thursday.
The appellate court set aside the May 20 decision of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which had invalidated parts of INEC’s timetable for party primaries, candidate nominations and other pre-election activities.
It held that the trial court failed to follow binding judicial precedents and ruled that INEC’s revised timetable is subsidiary legislation made pursuant to the Electoral Act 2026 and therefore has the force of law.
According to the court, INEC acted within its statutory powers in issuing the revised timetable.
The court further held that “every deadline in the Revised Timetable for the 2027 general elections fell within the ambit of the Electoral Act.”
The ruling followed an appeal filed by INEC after Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court declared that the commission lacked the power to impose timelines that shortened the periods provided under the Electoral Act 2026.
The lower court had nullified INEC’s deadlines for political parties to conduct primaries, submit candidates’ particulars, withdraw or replace candidates and submit their membership registers and databases, holding that they were inconsistent with the Electoral Act.
Justice Umar had ruled that, “INEC cannot lawfully abridge or limit that statutory period by prescribing a shorter timeframe in its 2027 election timetable.”
Dissatisfied with the judgment, INEC filed a notice of appeal on May 25, urging the appellate court to overturn the decision. The commission argued that the suit filed by the Youth Party was hypothetical and academic and that the trial court failed to determine all the jurisdictional issues it raised, thereby denying it a fair hearing.
INEC also maintained that its revised timetable did not conflict with the Electoral Act but was issued in line with its statutory powers under Section 151 of the Electoral Act 2026.
In its appeal, the commission argued that enforcing the Federal High Court judgment would disrupt preparations for the 2027 general elections.
“If the judgment… is enforced or executed before the hearing and determination of the appeal, the entire electoral architecture and preparations for the 2027 general elections will be thrown into confusion,” INEC had submitted.
