The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal has concluded hearings and reserved its ruling regarding two challenges against the 2027 election timetable published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Justice Adebukola Bankole, presiding over the panel, announced that the date for the final decision will be provided to all involved parties in due course.
This legal conflict stems from lawsuits initiated by the Youth Party of Nigeria (YPN) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) at the Federal High Court. Justice Mohammed Umar previously ruled in favor of the YPN, effectively voiding INEC’s election guidelines. Conversely, Justice James Omotosho issued a split decision in the SDP case, granting certain requests to the party while upholding other aspects of the commission’s authority.
Representing INEC, Dr. Alex Izinyon, SAN, argued that the commission operates within the legal framework of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act. He asserted that the trial courts misinterpreted statutory time constraints, specifically regarding the 120-day and 90-day election windows, which he characterized as a rigid, incorrect application of the law. Izinyon further contended that the plaintiffs failed to provide evidence of injury or concrete steps taken toward primary elections to justify their claims.
Beyond the primary appeals, the court addressed procedural motions filed by INEC. The commission challenged the YPN’s failure to submit its respondent brief within the mandatory five-day window mandated by the Court of Appeal’s practice directions. While YPN counsel Akinwale Irokosun acknowledged the lack of a timely response, the panel has deferred its rulings on these procedural issues to be delivered alongside the final judgments.
