The Federal High Court in Abuja has nullified guidelines issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) requiring political parties to submit their membership registers and databases by May 10 ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Justice M.G. Umar delivered the ruling on Thursday in a suit filed by the Youth Party (YP), holding that INEC lacked the legal authority to shorten timelines already provided under the Electoral Act 2026.

According to the court, Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act clearly allows political parties to submit the personal particulars of their candidates up to 120 days before an election.

Justice Umar ruled that INEC could not legally override that provision through administrative guidelines.

“A Declaration is made that, having regards to Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which requires political parties to submit the personal particulars of their candidates not later than 120 days before an election, the Defendant cannot lawfully abridge or limit that statutory period by prescribing a shorter time frame in its 2027 elections,” the judge stated.

‘Okada Rider’ Who Won House Of Reps Seat On Labour Party’s Platform Loses Return Ticket After Defecting To APC

Following the judgment, political parties now have until September 2026 to submit updated membership registers and candidate details to INEC, effectively setting aside the commission’s earlier May 10 deadline.

The ruling is expected to reshape political calculations ahead of the 2027 elections, especially for politicians seeking to defect to new parties after losing primaries in their current platforms.

Fresh Opening For Defectors

Political observers say the judgment could benefit aspirants who failed to secure tickets during party primaries, giving them more time to negotiate defections and pursue nominations under alternative political parties.

The development comes amid increasing political realignments across major parties ahead of the 2027 elections.

2027 Election Dates

INEC has already fixed:

• January 16, 2027, for the Presidential and National Assembly elections
• February 6, 2027, for Governorship and State House of Assembly elections

The commission has not yet officially reacted to the court ruling at the time of filing this report.