By Our Reporter
ABUJA — Ahead of the 2027 general elections, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has delivered a landmark judgment, ruling that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) lacks the constitutional and statutory powers to fix or prescribe timetables for the conduct of political party primaries.
The judgment, delivered on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, by Justice M.G. Umar, is expected to fundamentally alter the preparations for the next general elections and reshape the power dynamics between the electoral umpire and Nigeria’s political parties regarding internal democratic processes.
The decision was the fallout of Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/517/2026, filed by the Youth Party against INEC.
In his ruling, Justice Umar held that INEC’s role under the current legal framework is strictly regulatory and supervisory, rather than dictatorial.
The court clarified that under Sections 29, 82, and 84(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026, the commission’s powers are limited to receiving notices of party primaries, monitoring the proceedings of such primaries, and receiving the personal particulars of the emerged candidates.
Consequently, the court declared that INEC cannot legally impose rigid timelines or windows on political parties regarding when they must conduct their internal primary elections for the nomination of candidates.
Fleshing out the statutory boundaries, the court emphasized that political parties are only bound by law to submit the names and personal particulars of their cleared candidates to INEC not later than 120 days before the date fixed for the general election.
Beyond this explicit window, the court ruled, the scheduling and internal timing of primaries remain the domestic affair of individual political parties.
Legal and political analysts believe this judgment will grant political parties significantly more breathing room to manage their internal affairs, while potentially complicating INEC’s administrative calendar as it coordinates the logistics for the 2027 polls.
As of the time of filing this report, INEC has not issued an official statement on whether it intends to appeal the judgment.