Court Delivers Major Blow to INEC Ahead of 2027 Elections, Cancels Key Deadline

Major drama ahead of the 2027 elections as the court has overturned INEC’s deadline for party membership submissions.

Philips News reports that a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, the nation’s capital, has invalidated guidelines by the Independent National Electoral Commission mandating political parties to submit a register and database of all members on May 10 to be eligible to participate in the 2027 general elections.

This online newspaper understands that Justice M.G. Umar delivered the judgment on Thursday, May 21, 2026, in a suit filed by the Youth Party, compelling INEC to follow the 120-day pre-election deadline prescribed by the Electoral Act 2026 for the submission of party registers.

“A Declaration is made that, having regard to Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which requires political parties to submit the personal particulars of their candidates not later than 120 days to an election, the Defendant cannot lawfully abridge or limit that statutory period by prescribing a shorter time frame in its 2027 elections,” stated the judgment.

The presiding judge noted that all registered parties have until September 2026 to submit an updated list of all party members, nullifying the initial May 10 deadline set by INEC.

Meanwhile, PhilipsNews reports that the judgment of the Abuja division of the Federal High Court gives politicians who have lost primary elections in their respective parties the leeway to defect to another party to continue their ambitions.

The presidential and national assembly elections have been scheduled for January 16, 2027, while governorship and state Houses of assembly polls are set to hold on February 6, 2027.