ABUJA, Nigeria – The Court of Appeal in Abuja has overturned a Federal High Court judgment that nullified parts of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s guidelines and timetable for the 2027 general elections.
Okay News reports that the appellate court delivered a unanimous ruling on Thursday, holding that the Youth Party, which instituted the original suit, lacked the legal standing to challenge INEC’s electoral guidelines.
Justice Adebukola Banjoko authored the lead judgment, which was read by Justice Okon Abang. The court said the party failed to show that the disputed guidelines caused it any specific injury or directly affected its operations.
The appellate court also found that the Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Mohammed Garba Umar, was wrong to nullify portions of INEC’s May 2026 timetable. The affected provisions included deadlines for party primaries and the early submission of membership registers and candidate details.
INEC had challenged the lower court’s decision, arguing that it was denied a fair hearing on its preliminary objections and that the ruling amounted to a miscarriage of justice.
By setting aside the Federal High Court judgment, the Court of Appeal has restored INEC’s 2027 electoral guidelines and timetable, removing the legal uncertainty surrounding the commission’s preparations for the general elections.
