The Court of Appeal in Abuja has set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court that nullified key provisions of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) guidelines for the conduct of the 2027 general elections, restoring the validity of the electoral body’s revised timetable and regulations.
In a unanimous decision delivered on Thursday, the three-member appellate panel held that the Youth Party, which instituted the suit challenging the guidelines, lacked the legal standing (locus standi) to bring the action. The lead judgment, prepared by Justice Adebukola Banjoko and read by Justice Okon Abang, ruled that the party failed to demonstrate how the guidelines adversely affected it or its members during its primary elections or candidate nomination process.
The appellate court further held that the trial judge, Justice Mohammed Garba Umar, erred in law when he nullified portions of INEC’s guidelines on the grounds that they conflicted with provisions of the Electoral Act. According to the Court of Appeal, the decision resulted in a miscarriage of justice and ought to be vacated.
Justice Umar had earlier ruled on May 20, 2026, that INEC lacked the constitutional and statutory authority to compel political parties to conduct their primaries within timelines fixed by the commission or to impose deadlines for submitting membership registers and candidates’ particulars beyond those prescribed by the Electoral Act. Dissatisfied with the ruling, INEC appealed, arguing that the suit was merely hypothetical and that the trial court failed to consider its preliminary objection.
By allowing the appeal, the Court of Appeal effectively restored the legal force of INEC’s electoral guidelines for the 2027 general elections, enabling the commission to continue implementing its timetable and pre-election activities as preparations for the polls gather momentum.
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