Court Orders INEC to Revise 2027 Election Timetable

On Tuesday, March 27, 2026, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must amend the electoral timetable for the 2027 elections. This decision came as a result of a suit filed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) on April 9, 2026, which raised questions about INEC's authority to issue electoral timelines.

The court affirmed that while INEC is empowered to perform its functions under the Electoral Act 2026, it must adhere strictly to the timelines prescribed. The judgment emphasized that INEC cannot lawfully abridge the statutory period of 120 days as stipulated in Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act.

The court declared that without a proper timeline, the electoral system would be chaotic. Consequently, the court ruled that INEC is empowered to issue electoral timetables in compliance with the law, thus granting partial success to the SDP's claims.