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‘MEMBERSHIP TIMELINE’: INEC APPEALS JUDGEMENT, SEEKS STAY OF EXECUTION

May 26, 2026 • Dons Eze • 1 min read

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has asked the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal to set aside the judgement of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which nullified part of the the election guidelines put in place by the commission for the conduct of the 2027 general election.

Rexall that last week, Justice Muhammed Umar of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, nullified guidelines issued by the INEC directing political parties to submit their membership registers and databases by May 10, 2026, as a condition for participation in the 2027 general election.

A political party, the Youth Party, had filed a suit challenging the legality of the electoral body’s directive or guidelines.

The court said in its judgement that INEC could not lawfully shorten the timeline already provided under Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 for the submission of party membership records and candidates’ particulars.

But, in the appeal notice dated May 25, 2026, filed by INEC, through its Counsel, Chief Alex Izinyon, SAN, the electoral umpire prayed the court to set aside the judgement of the lower court.

Apart from praying the court to set aside the judgement, the Senior Lawyer, in the appeal, asked the court to stay the execution of the judgement.

Dons Eze

DONS EZE, PhD, Political Philosopher and Journalist of over four decades standing, worked in several newspaper houses across the country, and rose to the positions of Editor and General Manager. A UNESCO Fellow in Journalism, Dr. Dons Eze, a prolific writer and author of many books, attended several courses on Journalism and Communication in both Nigeria and overseas, including a Postgraduate Course on Journalism at Warsaw, Poland; Strategic Communication and Practical Communication Approach at RIPA International, London, the United Kingdom, among others.