The Federal High Court in Abuja has nullified the 2027 election timeframes issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
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Justice Mohammed Umar delivered the judgment in an originating summons filed by the Youth Party against INEC.
The Youth Party had accused INEC of imposing restrictive timeframes on political parties for the conduct of primaries and other pre-election activities, contrary to the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026.
What the Court said
Justice Umar agreed with the Youth Party that INEC lacked the statutory power to fix or prescribe the timeframe within which political parties must conduct their primaries for the nomination of candidates for the 2027 general elections.
The judge also declared that INEC cannot lawfully abridge or limit the statutory periods provided under the Electoral Act in relation to the submission of personal particulars of candidates, withdrawal and substitution of candidates, among others.
Justice Umar set aside the portions of INEC’s Revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 General Elections that imposed timelines inconsistent with the Electoral Act, 2026.
- “A declaration is hereby made that upon a proper consideration and interpretation of the provisions of Sections 29, 82 and 84(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026, the powers of the defendant to receive notice of party primaries and the personal particulars of candidates, and its duty to attend, observe and monitor such primaries, do not extend to fixing or prescribing the timetable within which political parties may conduct their primary elections for the purpose of nominating candidates for the 2027 general elections.
- “A declaration is made that having regard to Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which requires political parties to submit the personal particulars of their candidates not later than 120 days before an election, the defendant cannot lawfully abridge or limit that statutory period by prescribing a shorter timeframe in its 2027 election timetable.
- “A declaration is made that having regard to Section 31 of the Electoral Act, 2026, which permits political parties to withdraw and substitute candidates not later than 90 days before the conduct of an election, the defendant cannot lawfully abridge or limit that statutory period by fixing an earlier deadline for the withdrawal and replacement of candidates in its 2027 election timetable,” the judge said.
The judge also declared that, having regard to Section 32 of the Electoral Act, 2026, INEC does not possess the statutory power to publish the final list of candidates for the 2027 general election before the 60-day minimum period prescribed by law.
- “A declaration is made that upon a proper construction of Section 98 of the Electoral Act, 2026, the defendant does not possess the statutory power or authority to fix in its timetable for the 2027 general elections for campaigns to end two days before the elections.
- “A declaration is made that upon proper interpretation of Section 33 of the Electoral Act, 2026, the timeframe prescribed by the defendant for the submission of membership registers for the conduct of primary elections is not applicable to primary elections conducted for the purpose of replacing withdrawn candidates,” the judge ordered.
Umar also granted orders nullifying the timeframes imposed by the defendant in its Revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 General Elections for the conduct of primary elections by political parties.
The court held that the timelines for the submission of personal particulars of candidates by political parties for the 2027 general elections, as well as campaigning for the elections, were inconsistent with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026.
Backstory
INEC had said the revision followed the repeal of the Electoral Act, 2022, and the enactment of the Electoral Act, 2026, which updated timelines for pre-election activities.
The presidential and National Assembly elections, previously scheduled for February 20, 2027, were moved to January 16, 2027, while the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections were moved from March 6 to February 6, 2027.
The commission also outlined key milestones in the election calendar.
Party primaries, including the resolution of disputes arising from the primaries, were directed to commence on April 23, 2026, and end on May 30, 2026.
Campaigns for presidential and National Assembly candidates were billed to begin on August 19, 2026, while campaigns for governorship and State Houses of Assembly candidates were scheduled to begin on September 9, 2026.
In line with INEC directives, all campaigns were expected to end 24 hours before election day.
What you should know
Earlier in February, INEC informed the National Assembly that it requires N873.78 billion to conduct the 2027 general elections, along with N171 billion to fund its operations in 2026.
The proposed N873.78 billion represents a significant increase from the N313.4 billion released for the 2023 elections.
The budget highlights the scale and financial demands of conducting nationwide elections under the revised timetable and the new legal framework.
