INEC Reviews Supreme Court Ruling on Electoral Act 2026

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has initiated a review of the Supreme Court judgment that restored significant provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, particularly concerning candidate eligibility for the upcoming 2027 general elections. INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, announced this during a World Press Conference in Abuja on Tuesday.

The Supreme Court's ruling, delivered on September 24, 2026, upheld the constitutionality of sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7), and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, which also confirmed INEC's revised timetable and schedule for the elections. Amupitan stated that the commission had only received the certified true copy of the judgment on the day of the conference and was currently reviewing its contents.

The review comes in response to complaints from political parties, aggrieved aspirants, and members of the National Assembly regarding the judgment's implications, particularly for candidates who switched parties after their former parties had begun nomination processes. Notable candidates under scrutiny include Kingsley Chinda of the All Progressives Congress, Ovie Omo-Agege of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Donald Duke of the Peoples Redemption Party, and Victor Ochei.