ads…Orders review of 2027 schedule
A Federal High Court in Abuja has affirmed the powers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue and revise election timetables, in a judgment that reinforces the electoral body’s authority ahead of the 2027 general elections while also setting limits on how far it can alter statutory timelines.
Justice James Omotosho, who delivered the judgment on Tuesday in a suit filed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP), held that INEC acted within its constitutional and statutory mandate in issuing the 2027 Election Timetable and Schedule of Activities, including timelines for party primaries and submission of membership registers.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/720/2026, challenged INEC’s powers under Sections 82 and 84(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026, arguing that the commission’s role in monitoring party primaries did not extend to prescribing timelines for political parties to conduct them.
The SDP had sought, among other reliefs, an order restraining INEC from enforcing timelines it claimed were inconsistent with the Electoral Act, particularly provisions relating to the submission of candidates and withdrawal timelines.adsads
