Court Voids INEC Timetable for 2027 Elections

On Wednesday, the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice M.G. Umar, nullified portions of the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) timetable for the 2027 general elections.

The ruling came in response to a suit filed by the Youth Party against INEC, which argued that the commission exceeded its authority by shortening the timelines for political parties to conduct primaries and submit candidates. The court held that INEC's actions were inconsistent with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, specifically regarding the deadlines for submitting candidates and the campaign period.

Justice Umar emphasized that political parties are entitled to withdraw and replace candidates up to 90 days before the election, and INEC cannot impose earlier deadlines. The court declared that INEC's decision to publish the final candidate list earlier than the legally prescribed minimum of 60 days before the election was unlawful.

Consequently, the court set aside the affected portions of INEC's revised timetable for the 2027 elections.