In a judgement delivered on Thursday, Justice M.G. Umar ruled that INEC could not lawfully shorten the timeline already provided under the Electoral Act 2026 for political parties to submit documents relating to candidates and party membership.
The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has nullified guidelines issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which directed political parties to submit their membership registers and databases by May 10, 2026, as a condition for participating in the 2027 general elections.
In a judgement delivered on Thursday, Justice M.G. Umar ruled that INEC could not lawfully shorten the timeline already provided under the Electoral Act 2026 for political parties to submit documents relating to candidates and party membership.
The suit was filed by the Youth Party, which challenged INEC’s directive and asked the court to compel the electoral body to comply with the statutory 120-day pre-election deadline contained in the Electoral Act.
Justice Umar held that Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 clearly stipulates that political parties are required to submit the particulars of their candidates not later than 120 days before an election, adding that INEC lacked the powers to impose an earlier deadline outside what the law prescribes.
