The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has invalidated guidelines issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) mandating political parties to submit their membership register and database by May 10 as a requirement for participation in the 2027 general elections.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice M.G. Umar ruled that INEC cannot lawfully shorten timelines already clearly provided for under the Electoral Act 2026. The suit was filed by the Youth Party, which challenged the legality of the commission’s directive.
The court held that Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 stipulates that political parties are required to submit the personal particulars of their candidates not later than 120 days to an election, and that INEC lacks the authority to abridge this statutory provision through administrative guidelines.
Justice Umar declared that the electoral body’s May 10 deadline was inconsistent with the law and therefore null and void.
According to the ruling, all registered political parties now have up to September 2026 to submit an updated list of their members, effectively setting aside the earlier deadline issued by INEC.
The court emphasized that any guideline contrary to the provisions of the Electoral Act has no legal effect, reaffirming the supremacy of statutory law over administrative regulations.
The judgment is expected to have wide political implications, particularly for politicians who lost party primaries and may now have additional time to reconsider their political future ahead of the 2027 elections.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is yet to officially respond to the ruling as of press time.
The 2027 general elections remain scheduled, with presidential and National Assembly elections fixed for January 16, 2027, while governorship and state House of Assembly elections will hold on February 6, 2027.
