Electoral Act, Unlawful Restrictions, and Reasons Why Court Voided INEC’s Timelines on Party Primaries and Nomination of Candidates
INTRO : Ahead of the 2027 general elections, political parties secured a major relief after the Federal High Court in Abuja invalidated INEC’s timelines for party primaries and candidate nominations. Justice Mohammed Umar ruled that the commission’s deadlines were “inconsistent with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026.” Here are five key reasons why Court voided INEC’s timelines on party primaries and nomination of candidates. 1. INEC Overstepped Its Statutory Powers Under the Electoral Act: The core of the reasons why Court voided INEC’s timelines on party primaries and nomination of candidates is the commission’s lack of authority to set its own deadlines. Justice Umar held that “the powers of the INEC to receive notice of party primaries and the personal particulars of candidates… does not extend to fixing or prescribing the time-table within which political parties may conduct their primary elections.” The court found that INEC had unlawfully abridged the statutory periods p...