The Federal High Court Thursday nullified the guidelines issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) directing political parties to submit their membership registers by May 10, 2026, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In a judgment delivered on Thursday, Justice M.G. Umar, he decided that the electoral management body has no right to lawfully shorten the timeline already provided in the Electoral Act 2026.

The suit was filed by the Youth Party (YP) challenging the INEC’s directive.

The court held that Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 clearly provides that political parties are required to submit particulars of their candidates not later than 120 days before an election, the electoral management body has no power to extend or shorten such legal deadlines.

He, therefore, affirmed that INEC lacked the legal authority to impose an earlier deadline outside the provisions of the law.

With the judgment, political parties now effectively have until September 2026 to submit their membership registers and other related documents for participation in the 2027 elections.

The decision is expected to bring relief to several political parties and stakeholders who had earlier complained that the May deadline was too restrictive and difficult to comply with, especially amid ongoing internal restructuring and membership verification processes.