The Movement for Credible Election has faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission for appealing the Federal High Court judgement which nullified the timeline issued by the commission for the conduct of primaries and nomination of candidates for the 2027 general elections.
The group, in a statement jointly signed by its Chairman, Dr Usman Bugaje, Dr Obiageli Ezekwesili (Co-Chairman), Hadjia Magoro (Deputy Chairman) and Olawale Okunniyi (Head of National Secretariat) on Thursday, warned that the appeal could further erode public confidence in the electoral body’s neutrality and credibility ahead of the polls.
The court, in a judgment delivered by Justice Mohammed Umar, had set aside INEC’s May 10 deadline requiring political parties to submit a register and database of all their members as a condition for qualifying to participate in the general elections.
It held that the time frame announced by the commission for political parties to conduct their primaries and submit, withdraw or replace the names and particulars of their candidates for the general elections “is inconsistent with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026.”
Reacting to INEC’s decision to appeal the judgment, the group maintained that the electoral umpire had no reason to compel political parties to conduct primaries too early or submit candidates’ names months ahead of the timeline stipulated by law.
According to the group, the judgment merely reaffirmed the provisions of Section 29 of the Electoral Act, which allows political parties to submit their final list of candidates not later than 120 days before an election.
The MCE urged the electoral commission to accept the judgment, align its timetable with the Electoral Act, and concentrate on conducting credible, inclusive and transparent elections.
“INEC is required to implement the law impartially. Appealing a judgment that merely affirms and clarifies the Electoral Act may be interpreted as the Commission taking sides. This perception alone can damage the legitimacy of the electoral process.
INEC should accept the judgment and focus on delivering credible elections.
“The law is clear and INEC must be seen to obey it as the commission’s legitimacy derives from public trust, flowing from its neutrality and fairness — not from acting like a political stakeholder with vested interests in how parties organize themselves internally. An umpire that expresses partisan interest ceases to be an umpire but an interested stakeholder,” the group said.
The group cautioned the commission against “shrinking democratic participation windows in ways that disproportionately suffocate young, growing, reform-oriented alternative political parties.”
“Why would an electoral commission in a democracy appear more interested in administrative convenience than in expanding political inclusion and participation?
“Nigeria cannot claim to be practicing democracy while its electoral management body imposes electoral bottlenecks capable of strangulating emerging choices before they reach the ballot,” the group added.