One of the judgments, delivered in May 2026 in a suit filed by the Youth Party, challenged certain timelines contained in the election schedule.
Another judgment, arising from a suit instituted by the Social Democratic Party (SDP), upheld INEC’s authority to issue an election timetable but nullified some deadlines relating to candidate nomination and substitution.
According to Prof. Amupitan, the courts acknowledged that an election timetable without key activities and deadlines would be incomplete and could create confusion within the electoral system.
He noted that while INEC respects judicial decisions and the rule of law, the judgments raise significant legal questions regarding the Commission’s constitutional powers to organize and regulate elections.
The INEC chairman emphasized that many crucial electoral activities are not specifically assigned timelines by law but must still be accommodated within the overall election calendar.
These include monitoring party primaries, verifying membership registers, processing nominations, printing ballot papers, configuring BVAS machines, training election officials, procuring materials, and conducting voter education programmes.
He assured political parties and Nigerians that INEC remains committed to conducting credible elections in accordance with the Constitution and the Electoral Act.
Amupitan also announced that political parties will receive access codes to the Candidate Nomination Portal on June 26, 2026, warning that the automated portal will close once the submission deadline expires.