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SUPREME COURT RESERVES JUDGMENT IN INEC APPEAL OVER ELECTORAL ACT

September 17, 2026 • Dons Eze • 1 min read

The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved judgment in an appeal filed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against a Court of Appeal judgment voiding provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 dealing with political party primaries and membership registers.

The appeal, marked SC/CR/495/2026, arose from a suit filed by the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) at the Federal High Court, Abuja, challenging provisions of the Electoral Act which the party argued were inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution.

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A seven-member panel of the apex court, presided over by Justice Adamu Jauro, reserved judgment after hearing arguments from the parties.

“This matter is now reserved for judgment, at a date to be communicated to the parties,” the judge said.

INEC is the appellant, while the Zenith Labour Party is the respondent.

The original suit, marked FHC/ABJ/509/2026, was filed by the ZLP against the disputed provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.

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The Federal High Court, Abuja Division, presided over by Justice Mohammed Umar, dismissed the party’s action in a judgment delivered on May 5, 2026.

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.