Nigeria Supreme Court Upholds Electoral Act 2026 Provisions

The Supreme Court of Nigeria upheld an appeal by the Independent National Electoral Commission, ruling that Sections 77(5) and 84 of the Electoral Act 2026 do not conflict with the 1999 Constitution. This decision reverses a previous Court of Appeal judgment that had voided provisions concerning political party membership registers and the use of consensus or direct primaries for candidate nominations.

The court awarded N2 million in costs against the Zenith Labour Party, which had challenged the Act as unconstitutional interference in party affairs. In a series of related rulings, the court also dismissed an appeal from the Social Democratic Party and struck out an appeal from the Youth Party, citing that the latter was filed one day past the legal deadline.