A Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday nullified key portions of the timetable and schedule of activities released by the Independent National Electoral Commission for the 2027 general elections, ruling that the electoral body exceeded its powers by shortening timelines expressly provided under the Electoral Act, 2026.
In a Certified True Copy obtained by our correspondent on Thursday, Justice M. G. Umar, who delivered the judgment in a suit filed by the Youth Party against INEC, held that the commission could not lawfully abridge statutory timelines relating to party primaries, submission of candidates’ particulars, withdrawal and replacement of candidates, publication of final candidates’ lists, and campaign periods.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/517/2026, challenged aspects of INEC’s revised timetable for the 2027 elections announced earlier this year.
Under the timetable released by INEC, political parties were directed to conduct their primaries within a compressed timeframe ahead of the presidential, National Assembly, governorship, and state assembly elections slated for February and March 2027.
The commission had also fixed deadlines for the submission of candidates’ particulars, replacement of candidates, publication of final lists, and the end of campaigns before the statutory periods provided in the Electoral Act.
However, the court held that those deadlines were inconsistent with the law.
Justice Umar ruled that while INEC has the power to monitor party primaries and receive notices from political parties, it does not have the authority to prescribe timelines beyond those stipulated by the Electoral Act.
The judge held that Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act requires political parties to submit the particulars of candidates not later than 120 days before an election, stressing that INEC could not lawfully reduce that period through its timetable.
The court further ruled that under Section 31 of the Act, political parties are entitled to withdraw and replace candidates up till 90 days before an election, adding that the commission lacked powers to impose an earlier deadline.
Justice Umar also declared unlawful INEC’s decision to publish final candidates’ lists earlier than the minimum 60-day period prescribed under the law.
On campaigns, the judge held that the commission could not direct political parties to end campaigns two days before the elections, as the Electoral Act already provided for campaign periods.
The court also held that timelines set by INEC for the submission of membership registers for party primaries do not apply when parties are conducting fresh primaries to replace withdrawn candidates.
Consequently, the court set aside the affected portions of INEC’s revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general elections.
The judge declared that the timelines imposed by the electoral body were “inconsistent with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026.”
The Youth Party had argued that INEC, through the revised timetable, unlawfully attempted to curtail statutory rights granted to political parties under the Electoral Act.
Counsel for the plaintiff, J. O. Olotu, urged the court to void the disputed provisions of the timetable, while INEC’s lawyer, Sarafa Yusuf, asked the court to dismiss the suit.
The judgment is expected to compel the commission to review parts of the 2027 election timetable to bring them in line with provisions of the Electoral Act.
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