By David Torough, Abuja

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has restored the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) revised timetable and guidelines for the 2027 general elections, setting aside the Federal High Court judgment that nullified key aspects of the electoral body’s schedule.

In a unanimous judgment delivered on Thursday, by a three-member panel, the appellate court upheld INEC’s appeal and overturned the May 20 decision of the Federal High Court, which had invalidated portions of the commission’s revised timetable, including deadlines for party primaries, submission of membership registers, and nomination of candidates.

Delivering the lead judgment prepared by Justice Adebukola Banjoko, Justice Okon Abang held that the trial court erred by interfering with INEC’s administrative discretion, stressing that the Constitution and the Electoral Act empower the commission to regulate the conduct of elections.

The appellate court further ruled that INEC’s revised timetable constitutes subsidiary legislation under the Electoral Act 2026 and therefore carries the same force of law as the Act itself. It held that all the deadlines contained in the timetable fall within the ambit of the Electoral Act and that the commission acted within its statutory powers.

The court also held that the Youth Party (YP), which instituted the suit against INEC, lacked the locus standi (legal standing) to challenge the commission’s guidelines, noting that the party failed to demonstrate how the timetable or guidelines adversely affected its rights or its participation in the electoral process.

According to the court, there was no evidence that the party was prevented or threatened from conducting its primaries, adding that judicial intervention is only warranted where there is a genuine threat to a party’s participation in an election.

The appellate court concluded that the declaratory reliefs granted by the trial court were wrongly issued and consequently set them aside.

INEC had appealed the Federal High Court judgment through its lead counsel, Alex Izinyon, arguing that the lower court erred by failing to determine its preliminary objection that the suit was hypothetical and academic, thereby denying the commission a fair hearing.

The commission also maintained that the judgment was against the weight of evidence and urged the Court of Appeal to strike out the suit for lack of jurisdiction on the grounds that the Youth Party lacked the legal capacity to institute the action.

The dispute arose after the Youth Party challenged INEC’s directive requiring political parties to submit their membership registers and databases by May 10 as a condition for participation in the 2027 general elections.

In its May 20 judgment, the Federal High Court had held that INEC could not lawfully shorten timelines prescribed under the Electoral Act 2026, ruling that the commission lacked the power to impose earlier deadlines for party primaries, submission and substitution of candidates, and publication of the final list of candidates.

However, the Court of Appeal found that the trial court failed to apply binding legal precedents and wrongly invalidated INEC’s timetable, thereby restoring the commission’s guidelines and timelines for the conduct of the 2027 general elections.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission is considering conducting a comprehensive audit of its electoral technology systems and a mock presidential election ahead of the 2027 general election to test the reliability of its processes and technology.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Thursday while receiving the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Richard Montgomery, on a courtesy visit to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

According to a statement posted on INEC’s official X page, the proposals were under consideration by the commission and were informed by concerns arising from the 2023 general election, particularly regarding the reliability of election technology.

“The INEC Chairman said the proposals, which were under consideration by the commission that same day, were informed by concerns arising from the 2023 general election, particularly regarding the reliability of election technology.

“According to him, the commission was looking at the possibility of auditing all its systems ahead of the 2027 election, as well as conducting a mock presidential election, to test the readiness of its processes and technology before the actual polls,” the post read.

He noted that the proposed exercises were not originally captured in the commission’s budget but said INEC would explore ways to implement them if necessary, given their potential to strengthen the credibility of the general election.

The INEC chairman linked the proposals to the commission’s broader efforts to improve technological reliability, including the continued deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the INEC Result Viewing Portal.

He added that the commission was also reviewing its cyber-security architecture, covering system redundancy, penetration testing and disaster recovery mechanisms.

The statement noted that Montgomery said the UK had been closely following INEC’s preparations for the 2027 general election, including recent off-cycle elections in Ekiti, the Federal Capital Territory and Anambra, as well as preparations for the Osun State governorship election.

The envoy, who said he would conclude his tenure in about six weeks, assured the commission of the UK’s continued support, expressing confidence that his successor would sustain the partnership with INEC ahead of the 2027 general election.

From Ayinde Akintade, Osogbo

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Osun state, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, has described a call by Governor Ademola Adeleke that Britain should impose economic sanctions and visa ban on the big wigs of the APC in the state over fabricated accusations of promotion of political violence as spurious, unfounded and a joke of the century

Oyebamiji made the statement while playing host to the British delegation, in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.

He maintained that if any political party had any reason to make such a request, it would more logically have been his party not the ruling Accord in the state as evident in the alleged unruly activities credited to the incumbent government and its functionaries.

Oyebamiji recalled the alleged gruesome killings of several loyalists of his party prior to the 2022 governorship election and 2023 presidential election in the state, saying the killings in Ilesa, Ile-Ife, Osogbo, Ikirun, Ikire, Ede and several other communities were duly reported to the Nigeria Police Force.

“Permit me to also address recent media reports alleging that foreign missions, including the British High Commission, were urged to deny entry visas to members of our party. I regard such reports as entirely unfounded and frankly, the joke of the century” he added.

“If any political party had any reason to make such a request, it would more logically have been our party, the APC.

“You will recall that, prior to the current administration taking office in the state, many of our members were painfully killed during the 2022 election period.

“The incidents in Ilesa, Ile-Ife, Osogbo, Ikirun, Ikire, Ede and several other communities were duly reported to the Nigeria Police Force.

“Although we were the governing party at the time, we neither sought to politicise the incidents nor level baseless accusations.

Instead, we cooperate fully with the security agencies, allowing them to carry out their constitutional responsibilities. Today, several of those cases are before the courts.

“Sadly, in the last two years, a number of our members have also lost their lives under tragic situations.

“In my own Irewole Local Government; Council Area, the Executive Chairman, Hon. Remi Abbas, was killed within the premises of the local government secretariat.

“That unfortunate incident is only one among several others that have been well documented.

“Our approach has remained consistent. We believe in allowing the law enforcement agencies to investigate such matters professionally rather than attempting to mislead the public or the international community with unsubstantiated allegations.

“In this regard, I wish to commend the Inspector-General of Police and the officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force for their professionalism and restraint in the face of provocation and misinformation.

“We will continue to support and co-operate with all the security agencies in the discharge of their constitutional responsibilities because peace and security remain indispensable to the democratic process”, Oyebamiji added.

AMBO reaffirmed his confidence in the electoral umpire saying “as a political party, we also have confidence in the ability of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a credible, free, fair and peaceful governorship election on the 15th of August, 2026.

“Our only appeal is that the commission should continue to provide a level playing field for all the political parties, thereby allowing the electorate to freely determine the outcome of the election”.

Oyebamiji acknowledged the longstanding bilateral relationship between Nigeria and Britain, adding that “over the years, our bilateral relationship has remained mutually beneficial, fostering co-operation in democracy, governance, trade, education, security and development.

“Without presuming to speak on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria, I wish, as a proud Nigerian, to acknowledge your role and respectfully solicit your continued support and co-operation with our administration when, by the grace of God and the will of the people, it is inaugurated in November this year”, Oyebamiji affirmed.

The British delegation led by the Senior Political Advisor, Wale Adebajo, said the meeting was on  peace-building ahead of the August 15 governorship election in the state.

By Julius Tambaya, Abuja

 The presidential candidate of the Young Progressive Party (YPP), Peter Agada, has pledged to usher in a fresh era of transparent, technology-driven governance if elected President of Nigeria in the 2027 general elections.

Agada, a former Director of Finance for the Obidient Movement in the 2023 elections, voiced strong optimism about defeating his political rivals.

He made the commitment while unveiling his bold policy roadmap tagged “Labour Direct” , a people-centered agenda designed to tackle Nigeria’s most pressing challenges head-on.

The YPP presidential flag bearer who, spoke in an exclusive interview with DAILY ASSET, stated that his administration would be anchored on an “open-network governance” model, emphasizing total inclusivity, accountability, and direct citizen engagement through the ‘Labour Direct’ framework.

He further stressed the urgent need to align skills development with current market demands. He further called for a complete overhaul of the public service, advocating for a merit-based recruitment system to replace favoritism and mediocrity.

“As an accomplished professional architect with vast international experience, I will approach national security through a smart blend of community-based intelligence and cutting-edge technology,” Agada noted.

He also highlighted massive job creation plans, with a strategic focus on agricultural industrialization and the solid minerals sector—two areas he believes hold the structural key to absorbing Nigeria’s teeming youthful population

On the alleged politicization of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the current administration, Agada revealed ongoing, high-level international collaborations aimed at restoring public confidence in the nation’s electoral process.

“We are already working with corporate development partners and the governments of the United States and China to build and deploy a robust, technology-based system,” Agada declared. “This will ensure prompt, transparent, and tamper-proof transmission of election results.”

Positioning himself as a bridge between competence and compassion, the YPP candidate promised a government that works for every citizen, irrespective of tribe, religion, or political affiliation.