INEC Warns Parties: Primaries After May 30 Deadline Risk Nullification Amid Legal Dispute

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned political parties that any primary election conducted after its stipulated May 30 deadline may be declared invalid, escalating tensions within Nigeria’s political space ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The electoral body maintained that its timetable for party primaries remains binding unless overturned by a higher court, following ongoing legal disputes over the legality of its election schedule. The warning comes amid growing uncertainty among political parties still conducting or rerunning internal nomination exercises.

Speaking in a media interaction, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, said the commission remains bound by existing judicial pronouncements unless they are set aside by the appellate courts. He stressed that compliance with electoral timelines is not optional, but a legal requirement guiding the entire nomination process.

Haruna’s comments come against the backdrop of a Federal High Court ruling in Abuja that nullified aspects of INEC’s earlier guidelines and election timetable for the 2027 general elections. The judgment had triggered immediate legal counteraction from the commission, which filed an appeal and also sought a stay of execution to preserve its regulatory framework.

While the appeal remains pending, INEC insists that the original timetable—covering April 23 to May 30, 2026, for party primaries—remains in force. The commission has reiterated that political parties must adhere strictly to all deadlines outlined in the revised electoral schedule to avoid sanctions, including potential invalidation of candidate nominations.

In a further twist to the legal back-and-forth, another Federal High Court ruling delivered shortly after INEC’s appeal appeared to affirm the commission’s statutory authority to issue and adjust election timetables, adding complexity to an already unsettled legal environment surrounding the electoral calendar.

The conflicting judicial interpretations have left political parties navigating an uncertain compliance landscape as they prepare for primaries ahead of the 2027 elections. Analysts say the outcome of the appellate process will be critical in determining the final structure of the electoral timetable.

INEC has repeatedly argued that its scheduling powers are derived from statutory and constitutional provisions, which empower it to regulate the conduct and sequencing of elections nationwide. The commission says adherence to timelines is essential to ensuring order, predictability and transparency in the electoral process.

Meanwhile, some political parties, including smaller opposition platforms, are already facing internal disputes over their primary elections. The African Democratic Congress (ADC), for instance, has ordered reruns in several constituencies following petitions alleging irregularities and procedural breaches in its recent primaries.

The ADC appeal committee in Kaduna State said its review uncovered evidence of irregularities and malpractice in some of the contests, prompting the nullification of affected results and the scheduling of fresh primaries in impacted areas.

As the legal and political contest continues to unfold, INEC’s warning adds fresh pressure on parties to align their internal processes with regulatory timelines or risk losing candidates before the general election race even begins.

For now, the final authority over the disputed timetable is expected to rest with the appellate courts, whose ruling could redefine the boundaries of electoral regulation ahead of one of Nigeria’s most closely watched election cycles.