The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially received the certified true copy of the Supreme Court ruling that was delivered on September 24, 2026, which has become a topical issue on social media.
The electoral body also said it has begun to review it immediately.
Recall that the Supreme Court had on Thursday, September 24, 2026, affirmed the validity of Sections 77 (subsections 5 to 7) and 84 of the Electoral Act 2026. This followed appeals filed by the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
The court ruling in question can disqualify candidates who switched political parties after losing initial primaries.
Team@orientactualmags.com learned that Chairman of INEC, Professor Joash Amupitan commented on the controversial issue during the press conference he presided over in Abuja on Tuesday.
The electoral body, he noted, has received complaints from political parties, aggrieved aspirants and members of the National Assembly concerning the implications of the Supreme Court judgment.
‘We have recently received complaints from some political parties, and aggrieved aspirants, and even from the National Assembly, drawing our attention to the recent Supreme Court decision in INEC and Zenith Labour Party, delivered on the 24th day of September, 2026, affirming the constitutionality of Section 77, subsections 5 to 7 of the Electoral Act, 2026, and also upholding our revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general election.
We only received the certified true copy of this judgment this morning, and it is being reviewed’ he added.
Some had argued that the court ruling directly impacts politicians who defected to new parties to secure party nominations after failing in their original parties. The court also upheld INEC’s revised timetable for the 2027 general election.
Rivers State APC gubernatorial candidate, Kingsley Chinda; Delta Central NDC senate candidate, Ovie Omo-Agege; PRP presidential candidate, Donald Duke; Professor Isa Ali Pantami, Senator Saliu Mustapha, Muhammad Nami, Jiyya Kolo are among political candidates with fate left hanging in the balance until the electoral body makes its decision known on the court ruling in question-Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08035023079, 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com. Thank you
