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Court Affirms INEC's Power to Set Election Timelines as SDP Case Partially Succeeds — ADC Delays Presidential Primary Results Collation for Eid
The Federal High Court in Abuja has delivered a nuanced ruling on INEC's powers, as the ADC puts its primary results on hold for Eid.
The Federal High Court in Abuja delivered a split decision on Tuesday, May 26, that both affirmed and clipped INEC's wings. Justice J.K. Omotosho, ruling on a suit brought by the Social Democratic Party (SDP), upheld the electoral commission's statutory power to set timelines for political party primaries — but struck down specific deadlines the court found incompatible with the Electoral Act 2026. The judgment, while not the sweeping victory the SDP sought, sends a clear signal that INEC's regulatory reach, though broad, must respect the boundaries of the law.
The SDP had challenged INEC's authority to dictate when parties must hold their primaries and submit candidate lists, arguing that the commission was exceeding its mandate. Justice Omotosho agreed in part, pruning back the timelines that contradicted the Electoral Act while leaving INEC's overarching framework intact. The ruling adds to the growing body of judicial decisions that are shaping the 2027 election calendar — and forcing parties to adapt in real time.
One of those parties is the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which on Tuesday announced it was postponing the collation of its presidential primary results from Tuesday evening to Wednesday. The reason was both practical and cultural: the Muslim Eid al-Kabir celebrations. ADC Primary Election Committee Chairman Ikechi Emenike explained that results from 24 states and the FCT had already been announced, with 12 states still outstanding. The delay, he said, was to allow members to observe the holiday before completing the exercise.
The convergence of a court ruling on election timelines and a party delaying its primary for religious observance captures the texture of this pre-election season — legal, political, and human all at once. With primaries still ongoing and the courts actively policing the process, the road to 2027 is being paved one judgment at a time.
Stay tuned to Unuevbo TV for more on the 2027 election calendar, party primaries, and the court rulings shaping Nigeria's democratic process.
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