WorldStage– The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has nullified Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) May 10, 2026 deadline, which mandated that all political parties submit their membership registers and databases to participate in the 2027 general elections.
In a judgment delivered by Justice M.G. Umar, on Thursday, May 21, 2026, the court ruled that INEC lacks the statutory power to shorten timelines explicitly provided in the Electoral Act 2026.
The decision serves as a major relief for Nigeria’s political landscape.
Previously, the strict May 10 deadline effectively locked down party registers, preventing aspirants who lost out in early primaries from switching platforms.
With the deadline shifted to September, politicians now have a wider window to defect to alternative parties to pursue their 2027 ambitions.
According to the court’s ruling, all registered political parties now have until September 2026 to submit their updated membership registers to INEC.
The court upheld a suit filed by the Youth Party, ruling that INEC must comply with the standard 120-day pre-election timeline specified under Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act 2026.
The judgment completely sets aside INEC’s restrictive timeline for conducting primaries and nominating candidates, calling it inconsistent with federal law.
Citing Section 31 of the Electoral Act 2026, Justice Umar noted that INEC cannot abridge the 90-day window allowed for political parties to withdraw or substitute candidates.
Under Section 32, INEC cannot publish the final list of candidates earlier than the 60-day minimum period before the election.
The court declared that under Section 98, INEC does not hold the authority to mandate that political campaigns end exactly two days before the elections.As it stands, the scheduling for the 2027 general elections remains set for January 16, 2027 for Presidential and National Assembly, and February 6, 2027 for Governorship and State Houses of Assembly.
