INEC approaches A’Court over disruption of election timetable by lower court

Ebun Emmanuel –May 26,2026

The Independent National Electoral Commission has headed to the Abuja Court of Appeal to overturn the verdict that nullified the dates it provided for the 2027 general elections.

It also requested a stay of execution of the judgment pending the resolution of its appeal.

Record shows that INEC filed a notice of appeal on May 25, 2026, through its team of attorneys led by Dr. Alex Izinyon, SAN.

The commission raised nine grounds why appellate court should consider and vacate the May 20 ruling of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The judgment, delivered by Justice Mohammed Umar, had nullified key aspects of INEC’s timetable, including deadlines for party primary, submission of candidates particulars, withdrawal and substitutions of candidates, publication of final candidate lists and campaign schedules.

The lower court held that INEC lacked the statutory power to “fix or prescribe the timeframe within which political parties may conduct their primary elections for the purpose of nominating candidates for the 2016 General Elections.”

In its appeal, INEC contended that the high court erred in law by failing to resolve a jurisdictional question it raised before the substantive hearing.

The commission argued that the legal action initiated by the Youth Party against it was not only hypothetical but also academic in nature.

INEC maintained that the trial court’s reluctance to make pronouncements on the jurisdictional issues denied the appellant a fair hearing.

The commission further argued that the trial court erred in law when it interpreted Sections 29(1), 82, and 84 of the Electoral Act, 2026, in a manner that contradicted the clear wording of the statute.

As part of its appeal, INEC also filed a motion for stay of execution of the lower court’s judgment.

The commission argues that allowing the judgment to stand while the appeal is pending would disrupt the carefully planned sequence of electoral activities and potentially throw the 2017 elections into confusion.

If granted, the stay of execution would suspend the lower court’s ruling, effectively restoring INEC’s original timetable pending the final determination of the appeal by the Court of Appeal.