The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it has filed appeals against recent Federal High Court judgments that challenged aspects of its 2027 General Election timetable, insisting that a unified and coordinated electoral schedule is necessary for certainty, efficiency, and the orderly conduct of national polls.
According to the Commission, the decision to approach the appellate courts followed conflicting rulings in two separate cases that raised questions about key elements of the timetable, particularly provisions on candidate nomination and substitution.
INEC said it is seeking judicial clarification on the extent of its constitutional and statutory powers to design and implement electoral timelines that integrate multiple interdependent processes.
Speaking at the Second Quarterly Consultative Meeting with Leaders of Political Parties held at INEC headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan said the Commission had already taken formal legal steps to obtain authoritative decisions from higher courts.
He explained that the activities in the timetable are interconnected and not isolated events, and are essential for credible elections.
Amupitan referenced Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/517/2026 (Youth Party v. INEC), delivered on 20 May 2026, in which the court questioned parts of the Commission’s timetable.
He also cited another ruling, Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/720/2026 (SDP v. INEC), delivered on 26 May 2026, which upheld INEC’s authority to issue an electoral timetable but nullified provisions relating to candidate nomination and substitution.
He said the conflicting judgments make appellate clarification necessary.
“These judgments raise important legal questions concerning the extent of the Commission’s constitutional and statutory powers in coordinating and regulating electoral activities,” he said, adding that harmonised timelines are needed to ensure transparency, efficiency, and fairness to all political parties.
He noted that several key electoral activities are not specifically assigned statutory timelines under the Electoral Act but must still be integrated into the election calendar.
These include party membership register submission and verification, monitoring of primaries, uploading of primary results, printing of ballot papers and result sheets, configuration of BVAS devices, and statutory notifications on election materials.
Amupitan assured stakeholders that despite the appeals, INEC remains committed to conducting the 2027 General Election in line with the Constitution and the Electoral Act.
On preparations for the Ekiti State governorship election scheduled for Saturday, 20 June 2026, he said the updated voter register now contains 1,059,360 voters, following the addition of 66,664 new registrants. He added that 2,103 double registrations were detected and removed.
He said logistics, election technology deployment, and staff training were on track, and confirmed INEC’s readiness to open all 2,445 polling units across Ekiti’s 16 local government areas at 8:30 a.m. on election day.
He also disclosed that bye-elections will be held the same day in six constituencies across the country, including Enugu North, Nasarawa North, Rivers South-East, Ondo South Senatorial Districts, Dawakin Kudu/Warawa Federal Constituency in Kano State, and Zuru State Constituency in Kebbi State.
He added that the same operational standards and security arrangements for Ekiti would apply to the bye-elections.
Looking ahead, Amupitan said preparations are ongoing for the Osun State governorship election scheduled for 15 August 2026, urging political parties to comply strictly with published timelines and guidelines.
On candidate nomination for the 2027 general election, he said INEC would issue access codes to political parties on 26 June 2026 for use on its Candidate Nomination Portal, which will close automatically at the deadline without extension.
He also urged parties to intensify voter education and encourage eligible Nigerians to register and collect their Permanent Voter Cards.
Finally, he expressed concern over ongoing court cases arising from internal party leadership disputes, describing them as distractions to democratic progress, and urged parties to resolve such matters internally.