Court Invalidates INEC Timetable, Strengthens Democracy

On Wednesday, a Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Moham Umar, invalidated the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) timetable for the conduct of party primaries. The court's judgment, which set aside INEC's deadline of May 10 for political parties to submit their membership databases, was welcomed by the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC).

Mr. Jame Adeshina, IPAC's public secretary, stated that the ruling allows political parties adequate preparation time for the 2027 elections and reinforces the importance of adhering to the Electoral Act.

The court found that certain deadlines imposed by INEC were inconsistent with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, exceeding the commission's statutory powers. IPAC urged INEC to carefully study the judgment to ensure compliance without disrupting preparations for the upcoming elections, emphasizing that the ruling should not be viewed as a victory against INEC but as an opportunity to strengthen Nigeria's electoral framework.