Nigerian Court Nullifies INEC 2027 Election Timetable, Commission Appeals

On May 20, 2026, Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja nullified key portions of the Independent National Electoral Commission's revised timetable for the 2027 general elections. The ruling, delivered in a suit filed by the Youth Party, determined that INEC exceeded its statutory powers by imposing restrictive deadlines on political parties for conducting primaries, submitting candidate particulars, and replacing candidates. The court held that INEC cannot lawfully abridge the 120-day window for submitting candidate particulars, the 90-day period for candidate substitution, or the 60-day minimum for publishing final candidate lists under the Electoral Act 2026. The ruling voided a May 10 deadline for membership register submissions, effectively extending it to September 2026.

Opposition parties welcomed the judgment. The African Democratic Congress called it a vindication of its prior objections and predicted a mass exodus from the ruling All Progressives Congress, arguing the restrictions were designed to trap politicians within the ruling party. The Coalition of United Political Parties urged INEC to comply immediately. The Nigeria Democratic Congress caucus in the House of Representatives similarly demanded compliance to ensure democratic fairness.

On May 25, INEC filed a notice of appeal and a motion for stay of execution, arguing on nine grounds that the trial judge erred by ignoring jurisdictional issues, denying fair hearing, and misapplying the Electoral Act. INEC warned that enforcing the judgment would disrupt the entire electoral architecture and preparations for 2027. A separate ruling on May 26 by Justice James Omotosho, in a suit by the Social Democratic Party, similarly ordered INEC to amend its timetable to comply with the Electoral Act 2026. Meanwhile, an NDC lawsuit challenging sections of the Electoral Act was adjourned to June 9.