2027: INEC voids primaries held after May 30

The Independent National Electoral Commission has warned political parties that any primary election conducted outside the commission’s May 30 deadline remains invalid, unless a higher court overturns an earlier Federal High Court judgment on the matter. INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, made the disclosure in a chat with The Punch. He advised that political parties would have to continue to comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 pending the determination of the commission’s appeal before the Court of Appeal. Haruna stated: “Obviously, for now, 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. “In other words, for now, the political parties are better advised to be guided by the existing Act.” The INEC commissioner’s position follows the ongoing legal dispute over the commission’s timetable for party primaries and candidate nominations ahead of the 2027 general election. A Federal High Court in Abuja presided over by Justice Mohammed Umar, in a judgment, had nullified aspects of INEC’s electoral guidelines and schedule put in place for the conduct of the 2027 general elections. Justice Umar, delivering judgment in a suit filed by the Youth Party against INEC, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/517/2026, held that the commission could not lawfully shorten the timelines provided under Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 for the submission of party membership records and candidates’ particulars. The court also held that INEC could not abridge timelines already provided under the Electoral Act 2026, noting that the electoral body acted outside its statutory powers under the Electoral Act 2026. INEC subsequently filed an appeal and sought a stay of execution of the judgment, insisting that its timetable was issued in line with its constitutional and statutory responsibilities in the electoral process. Before the court ruling, INEC had approved April 23 to May 30, 2026, as the window for political parties to conduct their primaries ahead of the 2027 general election. The commission also directed parties to comply with other timelines contained in its revised election schedule. Meanwhile, less than 24 hours after INEC appealed Justice Umar’s judgment, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja affirmed the powers of the INEC to issue and alter election timetables for the cond