Court Rules INEC Lacks Power to Set Election Timelines

The Youth Party, as the plaintiff, filed an original summons against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) regarding the timelines for the 2027 general elections scheduled for February 26, 2026. The Youth Party contested INEC's authority to set specific dates for primary elections and candidate submissions, arguing that INEC lacked statutory power to prescribe these timelines.

The court, presided over by Justice M.G. Umar, dismissed INEC's preliminary objections concerning jurisdiction and standing.

The court ruled in favor of the Youth Party, declaring that INEC has no power to fix primary election windows and that its duty to monitor primaries does not extend to setting specific timelines. The ruling emphasized that INEC cannot abridge the statutory periods for candidate submissions (120 days), withdrawals (90 days), and campaign timelines (60 days) as outlined in the Electoral Act 2026.

The judgment reinforces the principle that administrative procedures cannot override clear statutory provisions.