By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
Nigeria’s electoral umpire, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has appealed the judgement of the Federal High Court Abuja, which nullified the Commission’s timelines issued for the conduct of party primaries and the nomination of candidates ahead of the 2027 general election.
This is even as Mr. Alex Izinyon, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), leading a team of lawyers of INEC in a Notice of Appeal dated May 25, 2026 raised nine grounds it urged the appellate court to consider and vacate the judgment of the Federal High Court Abuja delivered on May 20, 2026.
Aside from raising the issue of jurisdiction, which it said the lower court did not determine, INEC also maintained that the legal action the Youth Party (YP) initiated against it was not only hypothetical but academic.
Arguing that failure of the trial court to make pronouncements on the issues, resulted in the denial of fair hearing to the Appellant, the commission also stressed the lower court misinterpreted the provisions of the electoral act.
It said: “The high court erred in law when it held that: ‘It is clear from the wordings of Sections 29(1), 82 and 84 of the Electoral Act, 2026, the following can be understood. Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026 mandates Political Parties to submit the names of candidates in prescribed forms of the candidates who emerged from its valid primaries which such a political party intends to sponsor at the elections, not later than 120 days before the date of the General Election.
“What is required of Political Parties to do under the Electoral Act, 2026 is to notify the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) 21 days before the holding of its primaries, congresses or conventions, days before the holding of its primaries, congresses or conventions, or any conference or meeting convened for the election of its executive committees, other governing bodies for nominating candidates.
“The Defendant is not mandated to impose a timeframe for political parties to conduct their primaries provided that it will be done and submitted not later than the 120 days provided by the Electoral Act, 2026. See Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026.”
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