Appeal Court Restores INEC Timetable for 2027 Elections

The Appeal Court in Abuja has restored the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) timetable for the 2027 general elections, following a unanimous judgment delivered by a three-member panel on Thursday. This decision overturns a Federal High Court ruling made on May 20, which had nullified INEC's election timetable.

The Appeal Court determined that the trial court failed to adhere to binding legal precedents and that INEC's revised timetable for the 2027 elections is in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 and the INEC Act. The court noted that all deadlines contained in the revised timetable fall within the statutory powers granted to INEC.

INEC had filed a notice of appeal on May 25, raising nine grounds to challenge the high court's judgment, arguing that the trial court did not properly address jurisdictional issues raised by the suit filed by the Youth Party (YP) and the hypothetical academic nature of the case.