Fresh controversy has emerged over preparations for the 2027 general elections as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) maintained that political party primaries conducted after its May 30 deadline remain invalid, pending the outcome of an appeal challenging a Federal High Court judgment on the matter.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, said political parties are expected to comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 and the commission’s existing timetable until a higher court decides otherwise.
Speaking in an interview with Punch Newspaper, Haruna stated that any primary election conducted outside the commission’s stipulated deadline would not be recognised unless the Court of Appeal overturns the judgment that questioned aspects of INEC’s timetable.
“Any primary held outside INEC’s May 30 deadline will be invalid unless the Court of Appeal overturns the Federal High Court judgment in INEC’s appeal against the ruling that the timetable breached the Electoral Act 2026 in some of its provisions,” he said.
He added that political parties would be better guided by the current legal framework while the appeal process is ongoing.
The dispute stems from a judgment delivered by Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in a suit filed by the Youth Party against INEC.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/517/2026, the court nullified portions of the commission’s electoral timetable and guidelines for the 2027 elections, ruling that INEC lacked the authority to shorten timelines expressly provided under Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 for the submission of party membership records and candidates’ particulars.
Justice Umar held that the electoral body exceeded its statutory powers by abridging timelines already prescribed by law.
Following the ruling, INEC filed an appeal and sought a stay of execution, arguing that its timetable was issued in accordance with its constitutional mandate and responsibilities in managing the electoral process.
Before the judgment, the commission had fixed April 23 to May 30, 2026, as the period for political parties to conduct their primaries and submit candidates for the 2027 elections.
Adding another layer to the legal debate, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in a separate suit filed by the Social Democratic Party, affirmed INEC’s constitutional authority to issue and adjust election timetables.
In Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/720/2026, the court held that while INEC possesses the power to determine election schedules, such powers must be exercised strictly within the limits set by the Electoral Act 2026.
Meanwhile, the controversy comes amid fresh challenges within the African Democratic Congress (ADC), where the party’s primary election appeals committee in Kaduna State ordered rerun elections in several constituencies following complaints from aggrieved aspirants.
Chairman of the committee, Dr. Muhammed Fagge, said investigations uncovered irregularities, procedural breaches and other flaws that undermined the credibility of some of the primaries.
According to him, fresh elections were ordered in constituencies where aspirants were omitted from ballot papers, voting procedures were allegedly compromised or evidence of voting could not be verified.
Among the affected areas are Ikara/Kubau Federal Constituency and Kaduna South Federal Constituency, where the committee found substantial grounds to nullify the earlier exercises.
Fagge said reruns would be conducted across several constituencies and wards, including Kaura, Soba, Ikara, Kajuru, Birnin Gwari, Igabi, Kagarko, Kawo and Zaria, among others.
He stressed that the committee’s decisions were aimed at protecting the integrity of the party’s nomination process and ensuring that no aspirant was unfairly excluded.
The committee also ruled that any attempt to adopt consensus or affirmation processes in the Kaduna North Senatorial District would be invalid without the consent of all aspirants involved.