The Court of Appeal in Abuja sets aside a Federal High Court judgment that had nullified parts of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) guidelines and timelines for the 2027 general elections. According to multiple reports, the appellate court vacates the earlier decision delivered on May 20, which had struck down the INEC-issued timetable affecting party primaries and the nomination of candidates. The Court of Appeal affirms the validity of INEC’s election guidelines and restores the election timelines.
Reports also say the appellate court rules on procedural and legal grounds regarding the party that challenged INEC. One outlet states that the Youth Party (YP), which brought the case, lacks legal power to institute the challenge and did not demonstrate how the INEC guidelines directly affect the party’s rights in the conduct of primaries. Another report describes the appellate court as unanimously voiding the High Court judgment and restoring INEC’s timetable.
Overall, the appellate ruling reverses the High Court’s earlier nullification and returns INEC’s 2027 election scheduling framework into effect while the dispute is resolved at the appeal level.
