2027: INEC warns parties against primaries held after May 30

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned political parties that any primary election conducted outside its May 30, 2026 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, said political parties must continue to comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 pending the determination of the commission’s appeal before the Court of Appeal.

 

“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,” Haruna said.

 

“In other words, for now, the political parties are better advised to be guided by the existing Act.”

 

The clarification follows ongoing legal disputes over INEC’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, had earlier nullified aspects of INEC’s electoral guidelines and timetable for the 2027 elections.

 

In the suit filed by the Youth Party (FHC/ABJ/CS/517/2026), the court held that INEC could not lawfully shorten timelines provided under Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 for the submission of party membership records and candidates’ particulars.

 

The court further ruled that the commission acted beyond its statutory powers by abridging timelines already stipulated in the Electoral Act.

 

INEC subsequently appealed the judgment and sought a stay of execution, maintaining that its timetable was issued in line with its constitutional and statutory responsibilities.

 

Before the ruling, the commission had fixed April 23 to May 30, 2026, as the period for political parties to conduct primaries ahead of the 2027 general election.

 

In a related development, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, upheld INEC’s constitutional authority to issue and amend election timetables in a separate suit filed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

 

The judge, however, ruled that such powers must be exercised within the timelines prescribed by the Electoral Act 2026.

 

Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Primary Election Appeals Committee in Kaduna State has ordered rerun primaries in several federal and state constituencies following petitions over alleged irregularities.

 

Chairman of the committee, Dr Muhammed Fagge, said investigations revealed procedural breaches, omission of aspirants from ballot papers and insufficient evidence that voting took place in some areas.

 

The committee ordered fresh primaries in constituencies including Ikara/Kubau and Kaduna South Federal Constituencies, while reruns will also be conducted in affected wards across several local government areas.

 

Fagge said the decision was aimed at protecting the integrity and credibility of the party’s nomination process.

 

He also ruled that any attempt to adopt a consensus candidate in the Kaduna North Senatorial District would be invalid without the consent of all aspirants involved.

 

Haruna reiterated that, pending the outcome of INEC’s appeal, political parties risk having any primary election conducted after the May 30 deadline declared invalid.