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The Federal High Court in Abuja has invalidated critical components of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) revised timetable for the 2027 general elections.
In a judgement delivered by Justice M.G. Umar on Wednesday, the court ruled that the electoral body overstepped its legal boundaries by attempting to shorten periods explicitly guaranteed under the freshly enacted Electoral Act, 2026.
The verdict emphasises that INEC has no authority to enforce deadlines that contradict existing statutory laws.
Yesterday in Abuja, the Federal High Court in Abuja nullified the timetable & schedule for party primaries for #NigeriaDecides2027 issued by @inecnigeria. Here is the text of the court order.👇 pic.twitter.com/uRtulwjyxI
— Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, CGoF (@ChidiOdinkalu) May 21, 2026
The legal challenge, filed by the Youth Party under suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/517/2026, argued that the commission’s adjusted schedule unlawfully compressed vital political windows.
Justice Umar agreed with the plaintiff, ruling that under Sections 29, 82, and 84(1) of the Act, INEC cannot dictate the specific blocks of time during which political parties must run their primaries.
Furthermore, the court found that the electoral body cannot legally truncate the statutory 120-day window required for political parties to submit their candidates’ personal details.
The landmark ruling extended to several other aspects of the pre-election calendar.
The judge declared that INEC lacks the power to cut down the 90-day window reserved for candidate withdrawals and substitutions, nor can it publish final candidate lists earlier than the legal 60-day minimum before polling.
Additionally, the court threw out INEC’s directive to end political campaigns two days before election day, citing a lack of statutory backing under Section 98 of the Act.
As a result, the court completely nullified these restrictive timelines, forcing the electoral umpire to align its 2027 roadmap with the text of the law.
