Court Nullifies INEC's May 10 Deadline for Party Registers

On Thursday, the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice M.G. Umar, nullified the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) guideline that mandated political parties to submit their membership registers by May 10, 2023, in order to contest the 2027 general elections.

The ruling came in response to a suit filed by the Youth Party, which argued that the INEC's requirement was inconsistent with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026. Justice Umar stated that INEC must comply with the 120-day pre-election deadline prescribed by the Electoral Act for the submission of party registers.

He emphasized that the law cannot be abridged to impose a shorter timeframe. Consequently, the judgment allows political parties until September 2023 to submit their updated membership lists, effectively nullifying the initial May 10 deadline.

This ruling is significant as it impacts the ability of political parties to participate in the upcoming presidential and gubernatorial elections scheduled for January 16 and February 6, 2027, respectively.