2027: Appeal Court dashes politicians’ hopes, upholds INEC’s primaries timetable
The hopes of political parties and politicians seeking an extension of time to conduct their primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections were thoroughly dashed on Thursday.
This followed a decisive ruling by the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which upheld the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) guidelines and timelines for the electoral process.
In a unanimous decision, the three-member appellate panel set aside the May 20 judgment of the Federal High Court. The lower court had previously nullified aspects of INEC’s guidelines and questioned the commission’s statutory authority to prescribe firm timelines for party primaries.
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Thursday’s appellate ruling effectively restores INEC’s original timetable, locking out any further clamour for deadline extensions.
Why High Court judgment was overturned
The legal battle began when the Youth Party challenged INEC’s guidelines, arguing that the electoral umpire lacked the power to impose deadlines shorter than the windows provided under the Electoral Act, 2026.
The Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Mohammed Umar, had initially ruled in favor of the Youth Party. At the time, legal experts like Prof. Momodu Kassim-Momodu hailed that initial judgment as a “definitive legal affirmation of the supremacy of substantive legislation over administrative regulations.”
However, the Court of Appeal completely faulted that position. Delivering the lead judgment, which was prepared by Justice Adebukola Banjoko and read by Justice Okon Abang, the appellate court held that the Youth Party failed to demonstrate how INEC’s guidelines specifically harmed or affected its operations or the nomination of its candidates.
The trial court was said to have erred by interfering with INEC’s administrative discretion.
The Court of Appeal said the law explicitly grants INEC the powers to regulate and conduct elections in Nigeria.
”There was no deposition or threat that the respondent was prevented from conducting its primaries,” Justice Abang noted. “Where INEC acts within its power, the courts cannot get involved. The declarative reliefs granted by the trial court were wrongly granted and they are hereby set aside.”
Reacting to the verdict, INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs. Victoria Eta-Messi, briefly described the ruling as “good news” for the commission.
Internal chaos deepens for PDP, ADC, others
While political parties technically complied with INEC’s May 30 deadline for presidential and National Assembly primaries, many aggrieved factions had hoped a victory against INEC would buy them time to untangle their messy internal leadership crises.
With the door now firmly shut on extensions, several opposition parties are caught in a race against time
The Peoples Democratic Party remains heavily fractured. One faction is backing former President Goodluck Jonathan for the presidency, while another is fronting Senator Sandy Onor. Furthermore, a faction led by Kabiru Turaki is currently in court seeking an order to compel INEC to recognize an Interim National Working Committee (NWC) led by Tanimu Turaki.
The African Democratic Congress is split down the middle. The INEC-recognized faction, led by former Senate President David Mark, has nominated former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. Meanwhile, a rival faction led by Nafiu Bala Gombe is laying claim to Chris Uba as its presidential candidate.
Beyond candidate disputes, analysts point out that the rigid timeline leaves several parties stranded regarding the formal nomination of their vice-presidential running mates and the resolution of parallel governorship primaries.
Despite the panic in some quarters, other political parties claim to be completely unbothered by the appellate court’s verdict.
The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) stated that the ruling does not undermine its preparations in any way. In a statement signed by its Bauchi State Secretary, Abubakar Sani, the party noted that ”We have meticulously executed and concluded all our activities within the timelines revised and approved by INEC. Our governorship and state assembly candidates will be uploaded promptly once INEC opens its portal for that purpose on Saturday, July 18th, 2026.”
Similarly, a chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Party (NDC), speaking on the condition of anonymity, affirmed that the party met the May 30 deadline across all levels and remains unaffected.
Legal experts warn
Commenting on the development, Abuja-based legal practitioner Josiah Adebayo praised the Court of Appeal for restoring orderliness to the democratic process.
Adebayo accused desperate political actors of weaponizing litigation to frustrate the implementation of the Electoral Act. While acknowledging that the Youth Party might appeal to the Supreme Court, he warned that prolonged legal warfare close to the general elections could severely complicate INEC’s logistics and threaten the stability of the 2027 polls.
