The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld the 2027 election guidelines issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), setting aside an earlier Federal High Court judgment that nullified them.
In a unanimous decision delivered on Thursday, the appellate court ruled that the suit filed by the Youth Party (YP) lacked legal standing. Justice Adebukola Banjoko, who delivered the lead judgment, said the party failed to demonstrate how the guidelines affected its internal processes, including candidate nominations for the 2027 elections.
The court further held that the YP did not show any impact of the guidelines on its submission of candidates to INEC, making its claims insufficient.
The three-member panel also found that the earlier ruling by Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court contained significant legal errors and resulted in a miscarriage of justice.
INEC had challenged the High Court decision, arguing that the case was hypothetical and that it was denied a fair hearing. Represented by counsel Dr. Alex Izinyom, the commission urged the appellate court to overturn the ruling, which it has now done.
