Breaking: Supreme Court Gives Update on Opposition Suit Against INEC
- The Supreme Court reserved judgment in INEC's appeal against a Court of Appeal ruling that voided key provisions of the Electoral Act 2026
- A seven-member panel presided over by Justice Adamu Jauro heard arguments from both INEC and the Zenith Labour Party before stepping down the matter
- The dispute originated from a Federal High Court suit filed by the ZLP challenging Electoral Act provisions on party primaries and membership registers
PAY ATTENTION: Mark Legit.ng as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!
Nigeria's Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved judgment in an appeal brought by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) challenging a Court of Appeal decision that struck down certain provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
The case, marked SC/CR/495/2026, centres on provisions of the Electoral Act relating to political party primaries and membership registers. The Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) had argued that those provisions conflict with the 1999 Constitution.
Source: Facebook
Justice Adamu Jauro, who presided over a seven-member panel of the apex court, announced after hearing submissions from both sides that the court would not deliver its ruling immediately.
Justice Jauro said:
"This matter is now reserved for judgment, at a date to be communicated to the parties"
How the case reached the Supreme Court
The dispute started with a suit filed by the ZLP at the Federal High Court in Abuja, tagged FHC/ABJ/509/2026, targeting the contested Electoral Act provisions. Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court dismissed the ZLP's claim in a ruling delivered on May 5, 2026.
Unsatisfied with that outcome, the ZLP appealed to the Court of Appeal, which ruled in the party's favour by voiding the disputed provisions. That decision prompted INEC, listed as the appellant in the Supreme Court proceedings, to escalate the matter to the country's highest court, with the ZLP named as the respondent.
The Supreme Court did not indicate when it would deliver its judgment, stating only that the parties would be informed of the date in due course. The case carries significance for how political parties conduct internal elections and maintain membership records under Nigerian electoral law.
The development was reported on X here:
Court rules on APC senatorial primary crisis
Legit.ng earlier reported that Justice Salim Ibrahim of the Federal High Court in Abuja struck out a suit filed by Sen. Ifeanyi Araraume over the APC's Imo North Senatorial District candidacy for 2027.
Araraume had asked the court to direct INEC to recognise him as the party's candidate and remove Sen. Patrick Ndubueze's name from its portal.
The court upheld a preliminary objection raised by Ndubueze, citing a ruling by a Federal High Court in Owerri on the same subject matter.
Source: Legit.ng
