Written by
Ishioma Appiah-Yeboah
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has appealed two Federal High Court judgments challenging aspects of its timetable for the 2027 General Election, warning that the rulings could create uncertainty and disrupt critical electoral preparations across the country.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), disclosed this on Tuesday during the Second Quarterly Consultative Meeting with Leaders of Political Parties in Abuja, saying the Commission was seeking definitive legal clarification on its constitutional powers to coordinate and regulate election-related activities.
According to Amupitan, the judgments delivered in separate suits filed by the Youth Party and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) raised significant questions about INEC’s authority to determine timelines for key electoral processes.
While one court questioned portions of the Commission’s election timetable, another upheld INEC’s power to issue electoral schedules but invalidated some timelines relating to the nomination and substitution of candidates.
“The judgments raise important legal questions concerning the extent of the Commission’s constitutional and statutory powers in coordinating and regulating electoral activities,” Amupitan said.
He explained that the Commission decided to challenge both rulings because election administration involves a chain of interconnected activities that must operate within a coordinated framework to guarantee credible polls.
The INEC chairman noted that several crucial electoral activities are not assigned specific timelines under the Electoral Act but must still be accommodated within the broader election calendar. These include the verification of party membership registers, monitoring of party primaries, uploading of primary election results, printing of ballot papers and result sheets, quality assurance processes, configuration of BVAS machines, and inspection of election materials by political parties.
He said allowing different timelines to operate outside a harmonised framework could undermine transparency, administrative efficiency and equal treatment of political parties.
Despite the legal dispute, Amupitan assured stakeholders that preparations for the 2027 General Election remained on course and that the Commission would continue to operate in strict compliance with the Constitution and the Electoral Act.
Responding on behalf of political parties, Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) National Chairman, Dr. Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, backed INEC’s decision to appeal the court rulings, describing the judgments as conflicting and capable of creating confusion among political parties, candidates and other stakeholders.
Dantalle, however, called on the National Assembly to review the Electoral Act 2026, particularly Section 84(2), which restricts political parties to either direct or consensus primaries.
He argued that the provision contributed to disputes during the recently concluded party primaries, forcing some parties to adopt consensus arrangements that generated internal disagreements and litigation.