The 2027 general elections may be heading for a fresh legal storm as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) begins reviewing the implications of a recent Supreme Court judgment on candidates’ eligibility to contest party primaries.
The development has triggered uncertainty over the fate of several high-profile politicians whose nominations could be affected by the interpretation of provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Tuesday at a World Press Conference in Abuja, saying the commission had received complaints from political parties, aggrieved aspirants and members of the National Assembly over the judgment.
The Supreme Court had affirmed the validity of Sections 77 and 84 of the Electoral Act 2026, following appeals involving the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
The provisions have generated controversy over the eligibility of politicians who defected to new political parties after failing to secure the tickets of the parties under which they initially sought nomination.
Amupitan said INEC received the certified true copy of the Supreme Court judgment on Tuesday and had commenced a detailed review.
He said the commission would determine the appropriate action after studying the judgment and considering the complaints before it.
Among the politicians whose candidacies have attracted attention are Rivers State APC governorship candidate Kingsley Chinda, Delta Central NDC senatorial candidate Ovie Omo-Agege, former Cross River State governor and PRP presidential candidate Donald Duke, and former Delta State House of Assembly Speaker Victor Ochei.
There are also concerns over the implications of the judgment for Prof. Isa Ali Pantami in Gombe State, following his defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In Niger State, questions have similarly been raised over the candidacy of PDP governorship candidate Muhammad Nami.
The candidacy of former Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, in Nasarawa State has also come under scrutiny after he replaced the Social Democratic Party’s governorship candidate, Adamu Angba, who withdrew from the race.
The controversy centres largely on whether affected candidates met the statutory requirements for participation in party primaries and subsequent nomination, particularly where defections or substitutions occurred.
INEC’s review is therefore expected to have significant consequences for affected candidates and political parties, as well as the commission’s preparations for the 2027 elections.
For now, however, no final decision has been announced on the eligibility or disqualification of the affected candidates.
