2027 Polls: INEC Declares Late Party Primaries Invalid Amid Court Battle.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned political parties that any primary election conducted outside the commission’s approved May 30, 2026 deadline remains invalid unless a superior court overturns an earlier ruling of the Federal High Court on the matter.

The clarification was made by INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, during an interview with The PUNCH amid growing legal and political controversies surrounding preparations for the 2027 general elections.

Haruna stated that political parties are expected to continue complying with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 and INEC’s existing timetable pending the final determination of the appeal filed by the commission before the Court of Appeal.

According to him, any primary election held after the commission’s stipulated deadline would be considered invalid under the current legal framework unless the appellate court overturns the Federal High Court judgment challenging aspects of the timetable.

He said, “For now, any primary conducted outside INEC’s May 30 deadline remains invalid unless the Court of Appeal overturns the judgment delivered by the Federal High Court against portions of the commission’s timetable. Political parties are therefore advised to strictly comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 as it currently stands.”

The INEC commissioner’s remarks come against the backdrop of an ongoing legal dispute over the electoral commission’s powers to determine timelines for political party primaries and candidate nominations ahead of the 2027 polls.

The controversy began after the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Mohammed Umar, nullified certain aspects of INEC’s timetable and electoral guidelines prepared for the forthcoming elections.

In the judgment delivered in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/517/2026, filed by the Youth Party against INEC, the court held that the commission lacked the legal authority to shorten timelines already provided under Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 for the submission of party membership registers and particulars of candidates.

Justice Umar ruled that INEC acted outside its statutory powers by attempting to abridge timelines expressly guaranteed under the Electoral Act. The court maintained that while INEC possesses constitutional powers to organise and supervise elections, such powers must be exercised within the boundaries established by law.

The ruling effectively invalidated portions of the commission’s timetable that adjusted deadlines relating to party primaries and candidate submissions.

Following the judgment, INEC immediately filed an appeal and also sought a stay of execution, arguing that its timetable was formulated in accordance with its constitutional mandate and responsibilities in managing the electoral process.

Prior to the court ruling, the electoral commission had fixed April 23 to May 30, 2026 as the official window for all political parties to conduct their primaries in preparation for the 2027 general election.

INEC had equally directed political parties to comply with other timelines and procedural requirements contained in its revised election schedule, warning that failure to adhere to the timetable could attract legal consequences.

Interestingly, less than 24 hours after INEC filed its appeal against Justice Umar’s decision, another Federal High Court judge, Justice James Omotosho, delivered a separate judgment affirming INEC’s constitutional authority to issue and amend election timetables.

Justice Omotosho acknowledged that the commission possesses broad powers to regulate electoral schedules and procedures. However, he stressed that such powers must be exercised strictly in accordance with the timelines and conditions stipulated by the Electoral Act 2026.

The conflicting judicial interpretations have created uncertainty among political parties, many of which are currently preparing for rerun primaries and resolving disputes arising from their internal nomination processes.

Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Primary Election Appeals Committee in Kaduna State has ordered fresh primary elections in several constituencies following petitions submitted by aggrieved aspirants who challenged the conduct of the party’s recent primaries.

Chairman of the committee, Dr Muhammed Fagge, disclosed that the panel carefully examined petitions, documentary evidence, and testimonies presented by contestants before arriving at its decisions.

According to Fagge, the committee uncovered multiple cases of irregularities, procedural violations, omission of aspirants from ballot papers, and allegations of fraudulent practices during the conduct of the primaries in some constituencies.

As a result, several primary elections were declared inconclusive, while reruns were ordered in constituencies where the committee found substantial evidence of electoral malpractice or inadequate compliance with party guidelines.

In the Ikara/Kubau Federal Constituency, the committee ordered a fresh primary after establishing that Ibrahim Kubau, a duly screened aspirant, was unlawfully omitted from the ballot papers used during the exercise.

Similarly, the panel directed that another rerun be conducted in the Kaduna South Federal Constituency after investigations allegedly revealed insufficient evidence that voting took place across all wards in the constituency.

Fagge stated that rerun elections would now take place in affected areas including Kaura, Soba, Ikara, Kajuru, Badarawa/Malali, Magajin Gari II, Birnin Gwari, Tudun Wada West, Igabi, Kagarko, Kawo, Zaria, Chikun/Kajuru, and Kudan/Makarfi, among several others.

He explained that the committee’s decisions were aimed at preserving the integrity, credibility, and transparency of the party’s candidate selection process ahead of the 2027 elections.

The appeals committee also ruled on the contentious Kaduna North Senatorial District primary, declaring that any attempt to adopt a consensus arrangement or affirmation process would be considered invalid unless all aspirants involved consented to such an arrangement.

Fagge stressed that no aspirant should be unfairly denied participation due to procedural lapses, irregularities, or manipulation of the nomination process.

Political observers believe the combination of court battles, disputed party primaries, and uncertainty over INEC’s timetable could significantly shape the political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections.

With INEC insisting that the May 30 deadline remains binding pending the outcome of its appeal, political parties now face mounting pressure to ensure that all primaries and nomination processes strictly comply with existing electoral laws to avoid the risk of disqualification or legal disputes in the future.