INEC Says Primaries Held After May 30 Deadline Remain Invalid

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has maintained that any political party primary election conducted after May 30, 2026, remains invalid unless a higher court overturns an existing judgment of the Federal High Court.

The clarification was made by INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, who stressed that political parties must continue to comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 while legal proceedings on the matter are still ongoing.

According to Haruna, parties are expected to operate within the existing legal framework until the Court of Appeal delivers a final verdict.

“Any primary held outside INEC’s May 30 deadline will be invalid unless the Court of Appeal overturns the Federal High Court judgment,” Haruna said.

The controversy stems from a ruling by the Federal High Court in Abuja, which nullified aspects of INEC’s election timetable and held that the commission lacked the authority to shorten statutory timelines for political party activities and candidate nominations.

In response to the judgment, INEC filed an appeal and also sought a stay of execution, arguing that its timetable was consistent with constitutional and electoral provisions guiding the election process.

Before the legal dispute emerged, INEC had scheduled April 23 to May 30, 2026, as the official period for political parties to conduct their primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The situation has become more complex following another court ruling that affirmed INEC’s constitutional power to issue election timetables, while emphasizing that such authority must be exercised within the limits set by the Electoral Act.

The differing court decisions have created uncertainty around the conduct of party primaries, particularly as some political parties have already completed their internal nomination exercises while others continue to deal with petitions, disputes, and rerun directives.

Meanwhile, INEC has advised all political parties to exercise caution and strictly comply with existing legal requirements to avoid potential challenges or disqualification as the legal process continues.