INEC defends appeal over 2027 election timetable rulings

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Joash Amupitan, has defended the Commission’s decision to appeal two Federal High Court judgments challenging aspects of the timetable for the 2027 General Election.

Speaking at the Second Quarterly Consultative Meeting with Leaders of Political Parties in Abuja, Professor Amupitan said the rulings raised important legal questions regarding INEC’s constitutional powers to coordinate and regulate electoral activities.

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According to him, the Commission appealed the judgments to obtain clear legal guidance from higher courts and ensure certainty in the electoral process.

The INEC Chairman explained that several critical election activities, including the verification of party membership registers, monitoring of party primaries, printing of ballot materials, configuration of BVAS machines and inspection of election materials, require coordinated timelines to guarantee smooth conduct of elections.

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He assured stakeholders that despite the pending appeals, the Commission remains committed to conducting the 2027 General Election in accordance with the Constitution and the Electoral Act.

On preparations for the Ekiti State governorship election scheduled for June 20, Professor Amupitan disclosed that the voter register now contains over one million registered voters, following the addition of more than sixty-six thousand new registrants and the removal of over two thousand cases of double registration.

He said logistics, technology deployment and training of election officials are progressing as planned, adding that all polling units across the state will open simultaneously on election day.

The INEC Chairman also announced that political parties would receive access codes to the Candidate Nomination Portal on June 26 for the submission of candidates for the 2027 General Election.

Responding on behalf of political parties, Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, Dr. Yusuf Dantalle, supported INEC’s decision to appeal the judgments, saying the conflicting court rulings had created uncertainty for political parties and candidates.

He, however, called on the National Assembly to review aspects of the Electoral Act 2026, particularly provisions governing party primaries, which he said had contributed to disputes and litigation within political parties.

Dantalle also condemned political violence and urged political actors to embrace peaceful and issue-based campaigns ahead of upcoming elections.

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