INEC Issues Fresh Warning as Court Battle Puts 2027 Primaries in Doubt

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cautioned political parties that any primary election conducted after its May 30, 2026 deadline remains invalid unless overturned by a higher court.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, said political parties must continue to comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 while the commission’s appeal against a Federal High Court judgment is pending before the Court of Appeal.
According to Haruna, primaries conducted outside the commission’s approved timeframe cannot be recognized for now.
His remarks come amid an ongoing legal dispute over INEC’s timetable and guidelines for party primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The controversy began after a Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Mohammed Umar, nullified aspects of INEC’s electoral timetable following a suit filed by the Youth Party (YP). The court ruled that the commission lacked the authority to shorten timelines already provided under Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 for the submission of membership records and candidates’ particulars.
Justice Umar held that INEC exceeded its statutory powers by reducing timelines established by law.
In response, INEC filed an appeal and sought a stay of execution, maintaining that its timetable was issued in line with its constitutional and legal responsibilities.
Before the court ruling, the commission had fixed April 23 to May 30, 2026, as the period for political parties to conduct their primaries for the 2027 elections.
However, in a separate judgment delivered less than 24 hours after INEC filed its appeal, another Federal High Court in Abuja affirmed the commission’s constitutional authority to issue and revise election timetables. Justice James Omotosho, who delivered the ruling in a suit brought by the Social Democratic Party (SDP), stated that while INEC possesses such powers, it must exercise them within the limits set by the Electoral Act.
Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Kaduna State has ordered reruns of several primary elections after its appeals committee uncovered alleged irregularities, procedural breaches and other shortcomings.
The committee, led by Dr Muhammed Fagge, reviewed petitions and evidence submitted by aggrieved aspirants and declared a number of primaries inconclusive. Fresh exercises were ordered in affected federal and state constituencies, including Ikara/Kubau and Kaduna South, where the panel cited omissions of aspirants, lack of credible evidence of voting and other electoral flaws.
Fagge said the decisions were necessary to safeguard the credibility of the party’s nomination process, stressing that no aspirant should be denied a fair opportunity due to irregularities or procedural lapses.