JUST IN: “We Respect The Courts, But Need Clarity”—INEC Warns Rulings May Disrupt Primaries, BVAS Configuration, Ballot Printing And Election Planning

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned that recent court rulings affecting aspects of its timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 General Election could disrupt preparations for the polls if not urgently clarified by appellate courts.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, raised the concerns on Tuesday during the Commission’s second quarterly consultative meeting with leaders of political parties in Abuja.

Amupitan disclosed that the Commission had already filed appeals against two judgments of the Federal High Court which questioned certain timelines contained in INEC’s timetable for the 2027 elections.

According to him, while the Commission respects the decisions of the courts, the judgments raise significant legal questions regarding the extent of INEC’s constitutional and statutory powers to coordinate and regulate electoral activities.

The Federal High Court in Abuja had delivered two major rulings invalidating key compressed timelines in the 2027 general election timetable released by INEC.

The courts ruled that while INEC has the constitutional authority to issue and adjust election schedules, it cannot use administrative guidelines to shorten or override statutory windows guaranteed to political parties by the Electoral Act 2026

But Amupitan explained that in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/517/2026, Youth Party v. INEC, delivered on May 20, 2026, the court questioned some timelines contained in the Commission’s timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 General Election.

He added that in a subsequent judgment delivered on May 26, 2026, in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/720/2026, Social Democratic Party (SDP) v. INEC, the court affirmed the Commission’s authority to issue an electoral timetable but nullified certain timelines relating to the nomination and substitution of candidates.

“In view of the differing conclusions reached in the judgments and in order to ensure certainty and stability in preparations for the 2027 General Election, the Commission has filed appeals against the decisions and has taken the necessary legal steps to obtain authoritative pronouncements from the appellate courts,” Amupitan said.

The INEC chairman maintained that the activities contained in the Commission’s timetable are interrelated operational processes designed to guarantee the orderly, transparent and successful conduct of elections.

He noted that while the Electoral Act prescribes timelines for certain electoral activities, several other critical processes are not expressly provided for in the law but must be accommodated within the overall electoral calendar.

According to him, these include the submission and verification of party membership registers, monitoring of party primaries across the federation, uploading the names of winners of monitored primaries on the Commission’s designated portal, candidate nominations, printing of ballot papers and result sheets, training of election personnel, voter education programmes and the deployment of election materials.

According to him, “the absence of coordinated timelines for such activities would create uncertainty, disrupt election planning and undermine the Commission’s constitutional responsibility to organise, undertake and supervise elections in an efficient and credible manner”.

Amupitan argued that environmental and logistical factors, including weather conditions, terrain, procurement of sensitive materials and configuration of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), require careful scheduling and coordination.

“The Commission therefore considers it imperative that all electoral activities be harmonised within a coherent and workable framework that promotes certainty, transparency, administrative efficiency and equal treatment of all political parties,” he added.