Party Primaries After May 30 Remain Invalid — INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared that any political party primary conducted after its May 30 deadline remains invalid unless the Court of Appeal overturns an earlier Federal High Court ruling currently under appeal.

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The commission said political parties should continue to operate within the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 and comply with the existing election timetable pending the outcome of the legal dispute.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, said parties risk having their primaries rejected if they proceed with exercises held outside the approved timeframe.

“Until the appellate court reaches a different conclusion, political parties are expected to abide by the current law and timetable. Any primary conducted after May 30 cannot be recognised for now,” Haruna said.

The warning follows growing uncertainty over the validity of INEC’s electoral schedule for the 2027 general election after a Federal High Court judgment nullified parts of the commission’s timetable.

Justice Mohammed Umar, who presided over the case filed by the Youth Party, ruled that INEC could not lawfully shorten timelines already stipulated in the Electoral Act 2026 for the submission of party membership records and candidates’ particulars.

According to the court, statutory timelines established by law cannot be altered through administrative guidelines issued by the electoral commission.

Despite the judgment, INEC has challenged the ruling at the Court of Appeal and is seeking to suspend its implementation pending the determination of the case.

The commission maintains that its timetable was issued in line with its constitutional mandate and remains applicable until a higher court decides otherwise.

Before the legal challenge, INEC had fixed April 23 to May 30, 2026, as the official window for political parties to conduct primaries and nominate candidates for the 2027 elections.

Meanwhile, another Federal High Court in Abuja subsequently affirmed INEC’s constitutional authority to issue election timetables and schedules of activities.

Justice James Omotosho, in a separate suit filed by the Social Democratic Party, held that while INEC has the power to set election schedules, those powers must be exercised within the limits prescribed by the Electoral Act.

As legal proceedings continue, INEC has advised political parties not to treat the May 30 deadline as optional, warning that any primary election conducted after the cut-off date remains invalid under the current legal position.