The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced a review of the Supreme Court judgment upholding key provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Tuesday during the commission’s World Press Conference in Abuja.
Amupitan said the commission had received complaints from political parties, aggrieved aspirants and members of the National Assembly concerning the implications of the Supreme Court judgment in the case involving INEC and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
The Supreme Court, in its September 24, 2026 judgment, upheld the constitutionality of Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, while also restoring INEC’s revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 elections.
According to Amupitan, INEC only received the certified true copy of the judgment on Tuesday and is currently studying its contents before deciding on the next steps.
“We only received the certified true copy of this judgment this morning, and it is being reviewed,” he said.
The judgment has generated concerns over the eligibility of some candidates who changed political parties after their former parties had conducted or commenced their nomination exercises.
Those whose nominations have attracted attention include Rivers State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Kingsley Chinda; Delta Central senatorial candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Ovie Omo-Agege; former Cross River State governor and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate, Donald Duke; and former Delta State House of Assembly Speaker, Victor Ochei.
