The Supreme Court has upheld an appeal filed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against a Court of Appeal judgment that had voided key portions of the Electoral Act 2026 relating to political party primaries and membership registers.
CDA News Nigeria gathered that a seven-member panel led by Justice Adamu Jauro restored Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Act, ruling the provisions consistent with the 1999 Constitution and setting aside the Court of Appeal’s July 16 judgment which had favoured the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
Sections 77(5) to (7) govern the statutory requirements for political parties’ membership registers, stipulating that only persons listed in the register submitted to INEC at least 21 days before primaries, congresses or conventions are eligible to vote, while Section 84(2) mandates that candidate nomination must occur through direct primaries or consensus.
The apex court awarded N2 million in costs against the ZLP, which had argued the provisions amounted to unconstitutional interference in party autonomy. In two related judgments delivered the same day, the court also dismissed separate appeals filed by the Social Democratic Party and the Youth Party, with the Youth Party’s appeal struck out entirely for being incompetent.
The ruling reinforces INEC’s regulatory authority over party primaries ahead of the 2027 general election, strengthening the framework governing how political parties nominate candidates for elective office.
CDA News Nigeria will continue monitoring the implications of this ruling for the 2027 election cycle.
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