The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cautioned political parties that any primary election conducted after its May 30 deadline for the 2027 general elections remains invalid unless a higher court overturns an existing Federal High Court ruling currently under appeal.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, stated that political parties should continue to comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 while awaiting the outcome of the commission’s appeal before the Court of Appeal.
According to Haruna, parties that organize primaries outside the approved timeframe risk having such exercises nullified, stressing that the current legal framework remains binding until a superior court decides otherwise.
The warning comes amid an ongoing legal dispute over INEC’s timetable and guidelines for party primaries and candidate nominations ahead of the 2027 elections.
Earlier, a Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Mohammed Umar, invalidated portions of INEC’s election schedule following a suit filed by the Youth Party. The court ruled that the electoral commission lacked the authority to reduce timelines established under the Electoral Act 2026 for the submission of party membership records and candidates’ details.
The judgment further held that INEC exceeded its statutory powers by altering timelines specifically provided for under the law.
In response, INEC appealed the ruling and applied for a stay of execution, maintaining that its election timetable was issued within the scope of its constitutional responsibilities.
Before the court decision, the commission had fixed April 23 to May 30, 2026, as the official period for political parties to conduct primaries and select candidates for the 2027 polls.
However, a separate ruling delivered shortly after INEC filed its appeal appeared to reinforce the commission’s authority. In a case brought by the Social Democratic Party, Justice James Omotosho affirmed that INEC possesses constitutional powers to issue and revise election schedules. The judge noted, however, that such powers must be exercised within the limits set by the Electoral Act.
Meanwhile, internal disputes over party primaries have continued to surface across the country.
In Kaduna State, the appeals committee of the African Democratic Congress ordered fresh primary elections in several federal and state constituencies after reviewing complaints from aspirants.
Committee Chairman, Dr Muhammed Fagge, said investigations uncovered irregularities, procedural violations and allegations of manipulation in some contests. As a result, the committee declared a number of primaries inconclusive and directed reruns in areas where evidence suggested breaches of party guidelines.
Among the affected constituencies were Ikara/Kubau and Kaduna South federal constituencies, where the committee cited issues ranging from the omission of aspirants from ballot papers to insufficient proof that voting took place across all wards.
Additional reruns were approved in several local government areas and constituencies, including Kaura, Soba, Kajuru, Birnin Gwari, Igabi, Kagarko, Zaria and Kudan/Makarfi.
The committee also ruled that any attempt to adopt candidates through a consensus arrangement in the Kaduna North Senatorial District would be invalid without the agreement of all parties involved.
As political parties continue preparations for the 2027 elections, INEC’s latest position underscores the legal uncertainty surrounding the primaries timetable and raises the prospect that any nomination exercise conducted outside the May 30 deadline could face challenges pending the outcome of the commission’s appeal.
