Appeal Court Nullifies High Court Decision, upholds INEC’s 2027 Guidelines

The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Thursday restored the Independent National Electoral Commission’s guidelines for the conduct of the 2027 general election, setting aside an earlier judgment of the Federal High Court that had nullified parts of the regulations.

The appellate court delivered a unanimous judgment, ruling that the Youth Party, which challenged the guidelines, lacked the legal standing to institute the case. The court held that the party failed to show how the election guidelines affected its rights, members or preparations for the nomination of candidates ahead of the 2027 polls.

Justice Adebukola Banjoko, who delivered the lead judgment, found that the party did not establish any direct impact of the guidelines on its primary election process or the submission of its candidates to INEC. As a result, the appeal court ruled that the case should not have succeeded.

The three-member panel also concluded that the Federal High Court made errors in its May 20 decision when it struck down the guidelines on the grounds that they conflicted with parts of the Electoral Act. According to the appellate court, those errors led to a wrong outcome.

INEC had appealed the lower court’s ruling, arguing that the case was speculative and should not have been entertained. The electoral commission also maintained that the Federal High Court failed to properly address the issue of jurisdiction and denied it a fair hearing before delivering judgment.

Represented by senior lawyer Dr. Alex Izinyom, INEC asked the Court of Appeal to overturn the judgment and restore the election guidelines prepared for the 2027 general election. The commission argued that the regulations were lawfully issued and necessary for the conduct of future elections.

After reviewing the appeal, the Court of Appeal agreed with INEC’s arguments and nullified the Federal High Court’s judgment. The ruling means the commission’s guidelines for the 2027 elections remain valid and enforceable. Further details are expected as the full judgment becomes available.