A Federal High Court in Abuja has nullified key portions of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) revised timetable for the 2027 general elections, in a landmark ruling that could reopen political opportunities for aggrieved aspirants who lost during recent party primaries.
The judgment, delivered on Wednesday by Justice Mohammed Umar, set aside the timelines imposed by INEC for the conduct of party primaries, submission of candidates’ particulars, withdrawal and replacement of candidates, describing them as inconsistent with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026.
The ruling followed a suit filed by the Youth Party against INEC, challenging the electoral body’s powers to fix deadlines outside the scope of the Electoral Act.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/517/2016, the plaintiff argued that INEC lacked the statutory authority to impose restrictive timelines aimed at limiting post-primary defections and candidate substitutions ahead of the 2027 elections.
Delivering judgment after hearing submissions from counsel to the plaintiff, J.O. Olotu, and counsel to INEC, Sarafa Yusuf, Justice Umar held that the electoral commission cannot override provisions already guaranteed by law.
According to the court, Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026 clearly provides that political parties may submit personal particulars of candidates up to 120 days before an election, and INEC lacks the power to shorten that period through its election timetable.
“INEC cannot lawfully abridge or limit that statutory period by prescribing a shorter timeframe in its 2027 election timetable,” the judge ruled.
The court also held that under Section 31 of the Electoral Act, political parties retain the legal right to withdraw and substitute candidates up to 90 days before an election, stressing that INEC cannot impose earlier deadlines.
Justice Umar further ruled that the electoral commission lacks the statutory authority to publish the final list of candidates before the legally prescribed 60-day minimum period.
In another major pronouncement, the court declared that INEC does not possess the legal power under Section 98 of the Electoral Act to compel political campaigns to end exactly two days before elections.
“A Declaration is made that upon the proper construction of Section 98 of the Electoral Act, 2026, the defendant does not possess the statutory authority to fix in its timetable for the 2027 general elections for campaign to end 2 days before the elections,” the court held.
The judge equally ruled that timelines fixed for submission of party membership registers do not apply to primaries conducted for the replacement of withdrawn candidates.
Consequently, the court issued an order nullifying all aspects of INEC’s revised timetable deemed inconsistent with the Electoral Act.
“An order is hereby made setting aside or nullifying the time-frames imposed by the defendant in its Revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 General Election… which is inconsistent with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026,” Justice Umar ruled.
The judgment is expected to trigger fresh political calculations across parties, especially within the ruling All Progressives Congress, where several governorship, senatorial, and House of Representatives primaries have been marred by protests, allegations of candidate imposition, and withdrawals by aggrieved aspirants.
Under INEC’s revised timetable, political parties had been directed to submit membership registers by May 10 and conclude primaries, candidate substitutions, and withdrawals before the end of May.
The ruling is already being interpreted in political circles as a major legal opening for dissatisfied aspirants seeking alternative platforms or fresh nominations ahead of the 2027 elections.
