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Nigeria Electoral Act Supreme Court litigation

Updated 1 time since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-10-05 06:00 UTC → 2026-10-12 07:47 UTC · added removed

The Nigerian Supreme Court has issued a unanimous judgment restoring key provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, reversing a July Court of Appeal decision that had declared certain sections unconstitutional. The ruling reinstates mandates for political parties to submit membership registers to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) within specific timeframes and requires the use of direct primaries or consensus for candidate nominations. This judicial decision has triggered significant political and legal disputes regarding candidate eligibility. Specifically, the ruling clarifies that only party members listed on official registers submitted to INEC at least 21 days before a primary election are eligible to vote or be voted for. This has led to challenges in Rivers State, where opponents of All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate Kingsley Chinda argue his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) violated registration requirements. The restoration of these sections Following a September 24, 2026, judgment that resolved a legal challenge by the Zenith Labour Party, INEC has created uncertainty concerning released its final candidate lists for the validity 2027 elections. The lists include several prominent figures, such as former Inspector-General of previously conducted primaries Police Mohammed Adamu, former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege, and former Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda. The inclusion of these individuals confirms the status application of candidates who defected between parties. INEC is currently reviewing the judgment to determine potential sanctions for violators reinstated Sections 77(5)–(7) and is working 84(2), which mandate that only members on registers submitted 21 days prior to finalize candidate lists under significant time constraints ahead of the 2027 elections. internal party processes are eligible for nomination.

Versions

  1. 2026-10-12 07:47 UTC Nigeria Electoral Act Supreme Court litigation
  2. 2026-10-05 06:00 UTC Nigeria Electoral Act Supreme Court litigation

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