The Independent National Electoral Commission has warned political parties that any primary election conducted outside its May 30, 2026 deadline remains invalid, unless overturned by a higher court.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, issued the clarification in a discussion with The Punch, stressing that political parties must continue to operate within the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 pending the outcome of ongoing legal proceedings.
Haruna said parties risk having their primaries invalidated if they fail to comply with the commission’s timetable.
“Obviously, for now, any primary held outside INEC’s May 30 deadline will be invalid unless the Court of Appeal overturns the Federal High Court judgment,” he said.
“In other words, for now, the political parties are better advised to be guided by the existing Act.”
The warning comes amid a growing legal dispute over INEC’s timetable for party primaries and candidate nominations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
A Federal High Court in Abuja had earlier ruled that aspects of INEC’s election schedule were inconsistent with provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
In the suit filed by the Youth Party, the court held that INEC could not shorten statutory timelines for the submission of party membership records and candidate details.
The judgment effectively nullified portions of the commission’s electoral timetable, including deadlines for primaries and related processes.
However, INEC has since filed an appeal and sought a stay of execution, maintaining that its timetable was issued within its constitutional and statutory mandate.
The commission had initially fixed April 23 to May 30, 2026, as the window for political parties to conduct primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The legal uncertainty has created tension among political parties as they attempt to align internal processes with competing court interpretations.
In a separate ruling, another Federal High Court judgment reaffirmed INEC’s constitutional authority to issue election timetables, while also stating that such powers must be exercised strictly within the limits of the Electoral Act.
The conflicting judicial decisions have further deepened uncertainty over the enforcement of electoral timelines.
Meanwhile, intra-party disputes continue to emerge across the country.
The African Democratic Congress in Kaduna State has ordered rerun primaries in several constituencies following petitions from dissatisfied aspirants.
An appeals committee chaired by Dr Muhammed Fagge cited irregularities, procedural breaches and alleged exclusion of candidates in its decision.
The committee ordered fresh primaries in multiple federal and state constituencies, including Ikara/Kubau and Kaduna South, among others.
It also ruled that any consensus arrangements must have the full consent of all aspirants to be considered valid.
The developments underscore growing internal and legal pressures on political parties as preparations for the 2027 elections intensify.
With court cases still pending and INEC maintaining its position on deadlines, stakeholders say clarity from the Court of Appeal will be critical in determining the validity of party primaries conducted under the current timetable.
For now, INEC insists that its May 30 deadline remains binding unless set aside by a superior court.
