Court Nullifies INEC’s Early Membership Register Deadline, Grants Parties Until September 2026
The Federal High Court in Abuja has annulled the guidelines issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that required political parties to submit their membership registers and databases by May 10 ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Justice M.G. Umar delivered the ruling on Thursday in a case brought by the Youth Party (YP).
The court determined that INEC did not have the authority to shorten the timeline already established in the Electoral Act 2026.
Justice Umar noted that Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act grants parties up to 120 days before an election to file the personal details of their candidates.
The judge stated that INEC could not lawfully impose an earlier deadline through its internal guidelines.
He declared, “Having regard to Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which obliges political parties to submit the personal particulars of their candidates not later than 120 days before an election, the defendant cannot lawfully abridge or limit that statutory period by prescribing a shorter time frame in its 2027 elections.”
As a result, registered political parties now have until September 2026 to submit updated membership registers to INEC.
The judgment effectively cancels the commission’s earlier May 10 deadline.
The decision is also expected to create an opportunity for politicians who lost in party primaries to defect to other parties before the 2027 elections.
INEC has set January 16, 2027, for the presidential and National Assembly elections, while the governorship and state Houses of Assembly polls are scheduled for February 6, 2027.
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