INEC Reviews Supreme Court Judgment Threatening Chinda, Omo-Agege’s Eligibility

ABUJA, NIGERIA — The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially commenced a comprehensive review of the recent Supreme Court judgment that restored critical provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.

The decision has triggered widespread anxiety over the eligibility of several high-profile political candidates ahead of the 2027 general election.

Speaking on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at a World Press Conference held at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, the INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, disclosed that the electoral umpire is carefully studying the legal implications of the apex court’s verdict.

According to Professor Amupitan, the commission received the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment earlier on Tuesday. He noted that INEC has already been flooded with petitions and complaints from aggrieved aspirants, political parties, and members of the National Assembly regarding the potential fallout of the ruling.

The legal dispute stemmed from a landmark case between INEC and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP). In its judgment delivered on September 24, 2026, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7), and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026.

Crucially, the apex court’s ruling also restored INEC’s revised timetable and schedule of activities for the upcoming 2027 polls.

The restoration of these legal provisions directly targets the political fates of prominent politicians who defected to new political platforms after their former parties had either commenced or concluded their primary nomination exercises.

Among the high-profile candidacies currently hanging in the balance and attracting intense scrutiny are Donald Duke—Presidential Candidate, Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), and former Governor of Cross River State; Kingsley Chinda—Rivers State Governorship Candidate, All Progressives Congress (APC); and Ovie Omo-Agege—Delta Central Senatorial Candidate, Nigeria. Democratic Congress (NDC); Prof. Isa Pantami—Gombe PDP Governorship Candidate; and many others.

Professor Amupitan assured stakeholders that the commission would make its next definitive steps known after its legal team concludes its analysis of the Supreme Court’s directives.

Contextual Background

The controversy hinges heavily on the operational execution of the Electoral Act 2026. Sections 77 and 84 of the Act are specifically designed to institutionalise party discipline and curtail the practice of “political tourism”—where politicians lose out in one party’s primary or foresee an unfavorable outcome and immediately cross over to another party to secure a ticket on short notice.

By upholding these sections, the Supreme Court has effectively validated strict timelines for party membership registers and the finality of nomination windows.

Politicians who defected late in the cycle, after their original parties had initiated nomination protocols, face potential disqualification if their new parties accommodated them outside the legally sanctioned framework.

The ZLP vs. INEC Catalyst

The legal battle began when the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) challenged INEC’s rigid election timetable and specific restrictive provisions of the newly amended Electoral Act, arguing they infringed on parties’ internal autonomy and candidates’ rights to freedom of association.

While lower courts initially created a gray area that allowed political cross-carpeting to thrive temporarily, the September 24, 2026 Supreme Court judgment firmly shut that window. It re-established INEC’s statutory powers to set strict administrative deadlines and enforce adherence to statutory party guidelines.

INEC’s Legal Review

INEC’s ultimate interpretation of the CTC will serve as a major turning point for the 2027 general elections. If INEC takes a hardline stance in enforcing the restored clauses, major political parties like the APC and the NDC may find their tickets invalidated in key constituencies.

This could force sudden placeholder replacements, trigger a fresh wave of pre-election litigations, or completely alter the balance of power in battleground states like Rivers and Delta.