The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that it has filed appeals against recent Federal High Court judgments affecting aspects of its timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 General Election, insisting that coordinated timelines are essential for credible and orderly elections.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash O. Amupitan, SAN, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja during the Commission’s Second Quarterly Consultative Meeting with leaders of political parties. He said the Commission remains respectful of judicial decisions but is seeking authoritative clarification from appellate courts on the extent of its constitutional and statutory powers to regulate electoral activities.
Amupitan explained that while one court judgment questioned certain timelines in the Commission’s election schedule, another affirmed INEC’s authority to issue an electoral timetable but nullified some provisions relating to candidate nomination and substitution. According to him, electoral activities such as party membership verification, monitoring of primaries, candidate nominations, ballot production, voter education, deployment of materials and configuration of election technology must operate within a harmonized framework to guarantee certainty and efficiency.
The INEC chairman also assured stakeholders of the Commission’s preparedness for the Ekiti State Governorship Election scheduled for June 20, 2026. He disclosed that the state has 1,059,360 registered voters, including 66,664 newly registered voters, while 2,103 cases of double registration were invalidated to protect the integrity of the voter register.
He said logistics, deployment of election technology, training of personnel and stakeholder engagements were progressing as planned, with all 2,445 polling units across the 16 local government areas expected to open simultaneously at 8:30 a.m. on election day. He further commended political parties for signing the Peace Accord and urged them to ensure strict compliance with its provisions throughout the electoral process.
Amupitan noted that bye-elections in six constituencies across Enugu, Nasarawa, Rivers, Ondo, Kano and Kebbi states would also be conducted on the same day as the Ekiti governorship election, while preparations were already underway for the Osun State Governorship Election slated for August 15, 2026.
Looking ahead to the 2027 General Election, the INEC chairman announced that access codes for the Candidate Nomination Portal would be issued to political parties on June 26, 2026. He urged parties to prepare their ICT personnel and ensure timely submission of candidates’ details, warning that the automated portal would close automatically at the end of the prescribed nomination period.
He also called on political parties to intensify voter education and mobilization efforts during the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration exercise, emphasizing that credible elections require the collective commitment of all stakeholders to democratic principles, the rule of law, peaceful campaigns and transparent party primaries.
While expressing concern over lingering court cases involving the leadership of some political parties, Amupitan urged parties to resolve internal disputes promptly, describing such litigations as unnecessary distractions ahead of future elections
