The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has explained the Commission's decision to appeal two recent Federal High Court judgments concerning aspects of its timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 General Election. 

Amupitan warned that the rulings could create uncertainty and disrupt electoral planning.

Speaking on Tuesday at the Second Quarterly Consultative Meeting with Leaders of Political Parties in Abuja, Amupitan said the judgments raised significant legal questions regarding INEC's constitutional and statutory powers to coordinate and regulate electoral activities. 

He noted that while one court questioned certain timelines in the Commission's timetable, another affirmed INEC's authority to issue an electoral timetable but nullified some provisions relating to candidate nomination and substitution.

The INEC chairman said the Commission had approached the appellate courts to obtain definitive interpretations of the law, stressing that electoral activities such as monitoring party primaries, verifying membership registers, printing election materials, configuring BVAS devices and other operational processes must be harmonised within a coherent framework to ensure transparency, certainty and equal treatment of all political parties.

Amupitan also provided updates on preparations for the June 20, 2026 Ekiti State governorship election, revealing that the state's voter register now contains 1,059,360 registered voters following the addition of 66,664 new registrants and the removal of 2,103 cases of double registration. 

He assured stakeholders that logistics, technology deployment and personnel training were progressing according to schedule, adding that six bye-elections in different parts of the country would be conducted on the same day under similar operational standards.

He further announced that political parties would receive access codes to INEC's Candidate Nomination Portal on June 26 for the submission of candidates for the 2027 General Election, warning that the automated portal would close at the expiration of the stipulated period without extension. 

The chairman also urged Nigerians eligible to vote to participate in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration exercise.

Responding on behalf of political parties, the National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Dr. Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, endorsed INEC's decision to appeal the judgments, describing the conflicting court rulings as a source of confusion for political stakeholders. 

He, however, called on the National Assembly to review provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, particularly restrictions on the mode of party primaries, which he said had contributed to disputes and litigation within political parties.

Dantalle also condemned recent incidents of political violence in Osun State and urged political actors to embrace peaceful and issue-based campaigns ahead of forthcoming elections.