The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reiterated that any political party primaries conducted after its May 30, 2026 deadline for the 2027 General Elections remain invalid. This position holds unless overturned by a higher court on appeal.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr. Mohammed Haruna, issued the clarification in response to recent developments following a Federal High Court judgment that nullified key aspects of the Commission’s Revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 General Elections.
The Commission had set the window for party primaries between April 23 and May 30, 2026, in line with its guidelines aimed at ensuring orderly conduct of pre-election activities. However, the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that INEC lacked the statutory power under the Electoral Act to impose such specific timelines for primaries and candidate nominations.
“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,” Haruna stated.
INEC has appealed the Federal High Court decision and is pursuing the matter at the Court of Appeal. In the interim, the Commission urges all political parties to adhere strictly to the published timetable to avoid complications, disqualification of candidates, or disruption to the electoral process.
The Commission emphasized that it remains committed to conducting credible, transparent, and inclusive elections in 2027. Political parties are advised to comply with all relevant provisions of the Electoral Act, including requirements for notification of primaries, submission of membership registers, and candidate nomination processes.
INEC will continue to monitor compliance and will not hesitate to enforce the law regarding the validity of primaries and candidate submissions.