Nigeria Federal High Court nullifies INEC 2027 election timetable

A Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice M. G. Umar, delivered a judgment in favor of the Youth Party that voided key provisions of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) timetable for the 2027 general elections. The court held that INEC cannot prescribe deadlines for party primaries, submission of candidates’ personal particulars, withdrawal or substitution of candidates, publication of the final candidate list, campaign periods, or membership registers, as these exceed the powers granted by the Electoral Act 2026.

The ruling nullified INEC’s revised schedule and affirmed that statutory periods—such as the 120‑day deadline for candidate particulars, the 90‑day window for withdrawals, and the minimum 60‑day period before publishing the final list—must be respected. Opposition parties, including the Action Democratic Party (ADP) and the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), welcomed the decision as a safeguard for internal party democracy. INEC has indicated it will consider an appeal.

The judgment obliges political parties to conduct their primaries and related processes within the timelines set by law, reshaping the administrative framework for Nigeria’s upcoming elections.