NEWS
INEC Begins Reviews Supreme Court Judgment as 2027 Candidate Eligibility Faces Fresh Uncertainty
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced a detailed review of the Supreme Court judgment that restored key provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, a development that could have significant implications for political parties, nomination processes and some candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Tuesday during the commission’s World Press Conference in Abuja, revealing that the electoral body had received complaints and enquiries from political parties, aggrieved aspirants and members of the National Assembly regarding the possible consequences of the apex court’s ruling.
The review follows the September 24, 2026 judgment of the Supreme Court in the legal dispute involving INEC and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP). The seven-member panel of the apex court restored Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026 after the provisions had earlier been voided by the Court of Appeal.
The provisions are particularly important to the 2027 electoral process because they deal with political party membership registers and the procedures governing the nomination of candidates for elective positions. Section 77(5), for instance, relates to the membership register submitted to INEC and participation in party primaries, congresses and conventions, while the other provisions set out additional requirements for parties and their nomination processes.
Speaking on the matter, Amupitan said the commission was yet to reach a final position because it only received the Certified True Copy of the Supreme Court judgment on Tuesday and was still examining the court’s reasoning and directives.
“We have recently received complaints from some political parties, and aggrieved aspirants, and even from the National Assembly, drawing our attention to the recent Supreme Court decision in INEC and Zenit Labour Party, delivered on the 24th day of September, 2026, affirming the constitutionality of Section 77, subsections 5 to 7 of the Electoral Act, 2026, and also upholding our revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general election.
“We only received the certified true copy of this judgement this morning, and it is being reviewed,” he said.
The Supreme Court ruling has generated renewed attention because of the potential implications for candidates who moved from one political party to another after nomination exercises in their former parties had already been conducted or commenced.
Among the high-profile nominations attracting attention are those of Rivers State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Kingsley Chinda; Delta Central senatorial candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Ovie Omo-Agege; former Cross River State governor and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate, Donald Duke; and former Delta State House of Assembly Speaker, Victor Ochei.
However, INEC has not announced the disqualification of any of the named candidates. The commission’s immediate position is that it is studying the certified judgment and the complaints brought before it before determining the appropriate next steps.
The distinction is significant because the Supreme Court judgment concerns statutory requirements governing political parties, membership registers and nomination processes.
Consequently, the practical effect of the ruling on any particular candidate would depend on the circumstances surrounding the candidate’s party membership, the relevant membership register, the timing of its submission to INEC and the nomination process conducted by the political party.
With the commission now in possession of the certified judgment, attention has shifted to INEC’s interpretation of the ruling and how it will affect parties and candidates already preparing for the 2027 elections.
The development comes at a critical stage in the electoral calendar, with INEC’s timetable already setting out key milestones for the presidential, National Assembly, governorship and State House of Assembly elections scheduled for February and March 2027.
INEC’s ongoing review is therefore expected to provide greater clarity on the legal and administrative implications of the Supreme Court decision, particularly for political parties whose nomination processes or candidate selections may come under scrutiny following the restoration of the disputed provisions.