The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) guidelines for the conduct of the 2027 general election, setting aside an earlier judgment of the Federal High Court that nullified the guidelines and barred their implementation.
In a unanimous judgment delivered on Thursday, the appellate court ruled that the Youth Party (YP), which filed the suit against INEC, lacked the legal standing (locus standi) to challenge the guidelines.
The lead judgment, prepared by Justice Adebukola Banjoko and read by Justice Okon Abang, held that the Youth Party failed to demonstrate how the guidelines affected the conduct of its primary election or the submission of its nominated candidates for the 2027 general election.
The three-member panel further held that the Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Mohammed Garba Umar, erred in nullifying the guidelines on the grounds that they violated provisions of the Electoral Act, describing the decision as one that occasioned a miscarriage of justice.
INEC, through its lead counsel, Dr. Alex Izinyom, had appealed the High Court judgment, arguing that the trial court failed to determine whether the suit was hypothetical and academic, and also denied the commission a fair hearing.
The Court of Appeal agreed with INEC’s arguments and consequently set aside the May 20 judgment of the Federal High Court, affirming the validity of the commission’s guidelines for the 2027 general election.
