The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned that recent court judgments affecting parts of its timetable for the 2027 general election could disrupt preparations for the polls if appellate courts do not provide urgent clarification.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, raised the concern on Tuesday during the commission’s second quarterly consultative meeting with political party leaders in Abuja. He disclosed that INEC had already filed appeals against two Federal High Court judgments challenging aspects of the election timetable.
According to Amupitan, the rulings questioned the commission’s authority to compress certain timelines relating to party primaries, nomination, and substitution of candidates under the Electoral Act 2026.
He explained that in one of the cases filed by the Youth Party, the court challenged sections of INEC’s timetable for the 2027 election, while another suit filed by the Social Democratic Party upheld INEC’s power to issue an election timetable but nullified some timelines tied to candidate nomination and substitution.
Amupitan said the commission respects the decisions of the courts but believes the judgments raise important legal questions about INEC’s constitutional powers to coordinate and regulate electoral activities.
“In view of the differing conclusions reached in the judgments, the commission has filed appeals and taken the necessary legal steps to obtain authoritative pronouncements from the appellate courts,” he said.
The INEC chairman noted that election planning involves several interconnected activities beyond those specifically outlined in the Electoral Act, including monitoring party primaries, verifying membership registers, printing ballot papers, configuring BVAS machines, and deploying election materials nationwide.
He warned that the absence of harmonised timelines for these activities could create uncertainty and undermine the smooth conduct of the 2027 elections.
Amupitan, however, assured political parties and Nigerians that INEC remains committed to conducting credible elections in line with the Constitution, the Electoral Act, and lawful court decisions.
Also speaking at the meeting, Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) National Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle, criticised the current legal framework for party primaries, describing the recently concluded nomination process as problematic. He argued that the removal of indirect primaries under the Electoral Act 2026 created operational challenges and internal disputes within political parties.
Dantalle urged the National Assembly to review the Electoral Act and restore flexibility in the conduct of party primaries to strengthen internal democracy and reduce tensions among aspirants.
