Federal High Court Ruling: APC skeptical as ADP, CUPP other oppositions celebrate judgement

…Opposition call for INEC reversal of 2027 timetable.

…INEC cow to appeal judgement.

Nigerian opposition political parties have overwhelmingly praised the Federal High Court ruling delivered by Justice M.G. Umar, which nullified the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) restrictive guidelines and deadlines for the 2027 general elections.

The landmark judgment triggered by a lawsuit from the Youth Party invalidated INEC’s May 10, 2026 deadline for membership registers and ruled that parties have until September 2026 to comply, effectively safeguarding party autonomy over internal timelines.

The Action Democratic Party in their reaction says it has taken note of the judgment of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Abuja Judicial Division, delivered on 20th May, 2026, in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/517/2026, between Youth Party v. Independent National Electoral Commission.

The Court made important declarations concerning the statutory timelines available to political parties under the Electoral Act, 2026, particularly in relation to party primaries, submission of candidates’ particulars, withdrawal and substitution of candidates, publication of final list of candidates, and campaign activities.

In the judgment order, the Court declared that INEC’s powers to receive notices of party primaries and candidates’ particulars, and to attend, observe and monitor such primaries, do not extend to fixing or prescribing the timetable within which political parties may conduct their primary elections for the nomination of candidates for the 2027 General Elections.

The Court also held that INEC cannot lawfully abridge or limit the statutory periods provided under the
Electoral Act, 2026.

The Action Democratic Party welcomes this judicial clarification as a significant affirmation of the rule of law, internal party democracy and the statutory rights of political parties.

The ADP believes that electoral certainty must be anchored on the Constitution, the Electoral Act, valid court orders and due process.

Administrative timetables, however necessary for election management, must not override clear statutory provisions enacted by the National
Assembly.

The Party therefore respectfully calls on INEC to carefully review the judgment and take immediate steps to align all electoral timelines and administrative schedules with the
provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026.

ADP further urges all political parties, aspirants, candidates and stakeholders to remain calm, law-abiding and orderly while the legal and administrative implications of the judgment are being addressed.
As a responsible political party, ADP shall continue to conduct its convention, congresses, screenings, appeals, consensus processes, primaries and candidate documentation in strict
accordance with the law, its Constitution, its Electoral Guidelines and all valid judicial pronouncements.

The Party will also formally communicate with INEC to seek appropriate clarification and
ensure that the rights of ADP, its aspirants, candidates and members are fully protected within the framework of the law.

The Action Democratic Party remains committed to credible elections, transparent nomination processes, internal democracy and the emergence of competent leadership capable of
rescuing Nigeria from bad governance, economic hardship and political uncertainty.

ADP calls on Nigerians to remain vigilant, hopeful and engaged. The future of democracy depends on strict respect for the law, fairness to all political parties and the protection of the right of citizens to freely choose their leaders.

Meanwhile, the Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, demanded immediate compliance: CUPP urged INEC to immediately revise its 2027 election timetable to align with the court’s decision.

Acting National Chairman Peter Ameh lauded the judgment as a progressive victory that expands the democratic space and stops INEC from overregulating internal party structures.

The coalition specifically celebrated the exemption of substitution primaries from choking timelines and the cancellation of the pre-election campaign ban window.

African Democratic Congress, ADC, The ADC welcomed the judgment as a total vindication of its early resistance to INEC’s timeline structures.

The party’s leadership stated that INEC’s initial restrictive deadlines were engineered to trap politicians in the ruling All Progressives Congress APC.

With the timelines legally extended, they forecast a mass defection of aggrieved politicians to opposition platforms.

Having instituted the suit, the Youth Party hailed the ruling for establishing that INEC’s administrative guidelines remain subordinate to the statutory powers of the Electoral Act.

Key party leaders and associated groups, such as the Uyo Liberation Movement (ULM), called the judgment a “game-changer” for political fairness.

They urged prominent stakeholders to pressure INEC into accepting the decision rather than bogging down the 2027 process with a lengthy legal appeal.

Across the political landscape, stakeholders agree that the court’s intervention has fundamentally altered the rules of the transfer market for Nigerian politicians.

By pushing candidate submission windows back to September, the ruling provides a massive safety valve for politicians who lose out in early party primaries, giving them the legal flexibility to switch tickets and run on alternative party platforms.