The Supreme Court has reserved judgment in an appeal brought by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against a Court of Appeal decision that voids parts of Nigeria’s Electoral Act relating to political party primaries and membership registers. The matter involves an election-related dispute initiated by the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and is being heard on appeal by INEC.
According to reports, the Supreme Court’s decision to reserve judgment follows the Court of Appeal ruling, which found certain provisions of the 2026 Electoral Act invalid. INEC is asking the apex court to overturn that judgment, while ZLP maintains its challenge against the affected statutory provisions. One outlet identifies the case as SC/CR/495/2026. The outlets differ mainly in phrasing and emphasis, but both describe the same stage of proceedings—judgment reserved pending the Supreme Court’s final determination.
The reserved judgment means no outcome has been announced yet, and the Supreme Court is expected to decide whether the contested Electoral Act provisions stand or remain void.
