2027: INEC confirms review of Supreme Court judgment affecting Chinda, Omo-Agege, others

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, said it has commenced a review of the Supreme Court judgment restoring key provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.

The development comes amid concerns over the eligibility of some candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.

INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Tuesday at 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 over the implications of the Supreme Court judgment in the case between 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 and restored INEC’s revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 elections.

Amupitan said INEC only received the certified true copy of the judgment on Tuesday and was studying its contents before determining the next steps.

“We have recently received complaints from some political parties, and aggrieved aspirants, and even from the National Assembly, drawing our attention to the recent Supreme Court decision in INEC and Zenit Labour Party, delivered on the 24th day of September, 2026, affirming the constitutionality of Section 77, subsections 5 to 7 of the Electoral Act, 2026, and also upholding our revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general election.

“We only received the certified true copy of this judgement this morning, and it is being reviewed,” he said.

The development comes amid questions over the political fate of several high-profile candidates who changed political parties after their former parties had conducted or commenced 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.