The Supreme Court has reinstated the Electoral Act 2026's rules on party membership registers and the nomination of candidates, reversing the Court of Appeal, according to Vanguard and the News Agency of Nigeria.
The Nigerian Apex Court, on 24 September, allowed an appeal by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), according to reports by Vanguard and the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), and restored provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 that the Court of Appeal had voided in July.
The case began when the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) challenged the provisions at the Federal High Court, Abuja, which dismissed the suit. On appeal, the Court of Appeal voided the provisions on 16 July. A seven-member panel of the Supreme Court has now set aside the appellate judgment and restored the High Court's decision.
Justice Adamu Jauro delivered the lead judgment, Vanguard reported, adding that the decision was unanimous.
The court held that the contested provisions do not conflict with the 1999 Constitution (as amended). They include sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7), which set requirements for party membership registers, and section 84(2), which provides that parties' nomination of candidates 'shall be by direct primaries or consensus'.
The court also awarded ₦2 million in costs against the ZLP.
In separate appeals, the court dismissed one filed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and struck out another by the Youth Party for being filed a day out of time, NAN reported.
This report will be updated when the court's written judgment is published.
