The Pacesetter Frontier Magazine

Tag: Electoral Act 2026

  • 2027: Senate Rules Out Electoral Act Review Before General Elections

    2027: Senate Rules Out Electoral Act Review Before General Elections

    Precious Nwonu, Enugu

    The Senate has ruled out any fresh amendment of the Electoral Act 2026 before the 2027 general elections, saying changes to the legislation at this stage could disrupt preparations for the polls

    The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, disclosed this in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, explaining that the National Assembly would only consider reviewing the law after the elections if the need arose.

    His position follows a Supreme Court judgment that restored provisions of the Electoral Act governing political party membership registers and methods of selecting candidates for elections.

    The apex court overturned an earlier ruling by the Court of Appeal, which had declared Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026 unconstitutional.

    The Court of Appeal had delivered its ruling following a suit by the Zenith Labour Party, which challenged the requirements as an interference with the internal administration of political parties.

    However, the Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision by a seven-member panel, reinstated the provisions and set aside the appellate court’s decision nullifying parts of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s timetable for the 2027 elections.

    Reacting to calls for a possible review of the legislation, Adaramodu said the National Assembly had completed the lawmaking process and the Act had received presidential assent.

    He maintained that the law was intended to guide the 2027 elections and should not be altered while political parties were already preparing their candidates for the polls.

    According to him, reopening the legislation could create uncertainty for parties that had relied on its provisions in their electoral preparations.

    Adaramodu said individuals or groups seeking changes could submit petitions to the Senate, but stressed that the National Assembly had no immediate plans to amend the law.

    The Supreme Court judgment has renewed attention on compliance with the restored provisions, particularly the requirements governing party membership records and candidate nominations.

    Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) restrict participation in party primaries, congresses and conventions to members whose names appear on membership registers submitted to INEC.

    Section 84(2) provides for direct primaries and consensus as methods through which political parties can nominate candidates for elections.

    The provisions are expected to remain part of the legal framework guiding political parties as preparations continue for the 2027 general elections.

  • Supreme Court Restores Electoral Act Provisions Ahead Of 2027 Polls

    Supreme Court Restores Electoral Act Provisions Ahead Of 2027 Polls

    Precious Nwonu, Enugu

    The Supreme Court has restored key provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 governing political party membership registers and the nomination of candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.

    A seven-member panel of the apex court, in a unanimous decision, upheld an appeal filed by the Independent National Electoral Commission against an earlier Court of Appeal judgment that had declared Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act unconstitutional.

    The ruling means political parties are required to comply with statutory rules on their membership registers and candidate nomination processes.

    Under Section 77 of the Act, political parties must make their membership registers available to INEC not later than 21 days before their primaries, congresses or conventions.

    The law further provides that only members whose names are contained in the register submitted to INEC can vote or be voted for at party primaries, congresses and conventions. Parties are also prohibited from using a different register for such exercises.

    A party that fails to submit its membership register within the stipulated period is not eligible to field a candidate for the election, according to the Act.

    The Supreme Court also restored Section 84(2), which provides that political parties may nominate candidates through direct primaries or consensus. INEC’s 2026 Regulations and Guidelines similarly recognise direct and consensus primaries as the two permitted methods under the Act.

    The legal dispute began after the Zenith Labour Party challenged the provisions at the Federal High Court, arguing that they interfered with the constitutional powers of political parties to manage their internal affairs and nominate candidates.

    The Federal High Court dismissed the challenge in May 2026, but the Court of Appeal later overturned that decision in July and struck down the four disputed provisions. INEC subsequently appealed to the Supreme Court.

    The Supreme Court has now set aside the Court of Appeal’s decision and reinstated the earlier Federal High Court judgment, holding that the disputed provisions were not inconsistent with the Constitution. The apex court also awarded N2 million in costs against the Zenith Labour Party.

    The ruling reinforces INEC’s statutory role in receiving and verifying party membership registers and monitoring compliance with the requirements governing party primaries and candidate nominations.

    INEC had earlier confirmed that all 22 registered political parties submitted their membership registers in May 2026, with the Commission stating that the registers would undergo verification in line with the law.

    The Supreme Court’s decision therefore provides the legal framework that will govern future party nomination exercises under the 2026 Electoral Act, including subsequent elections and the primaries, congresses and conventions preceding them.