Panic has gripped political camps across Nigeria after a landmark Supreme Court judgment threatened to upend the 2027 elections.
On Thursday, a seven-man panel led by Justice Adamu Jauro delivered what lawyers are calling the biggest pre-election decision for 2027, restoring Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026.
The apex court allowed INEC’s appeal in SC/CR/495/2026, set aside the Court of Appeal judgment of July 16, and restored INEC’s powers over party membership registers and nomination methods.
The implication is brutal and immediate: Anyone whose name was not in a party’s register submitted to INEC as at May 2026 is not a member, and anyone who participated in more than one primary risks disqualification. Indirect primaries are now dead — only direct primaries or consensus are lawful.
Big Names Caught In The Web
The ruling has thrown question marks over some of the biggest names in the race.
Peter Obi, NDC presidential candidate, who moved from Labour Party to ADC in December 2025 and then to NDC on May 3, 2026, is under scrutiny. He picked NDC forms on May 17 and was adopted on May 29. An NDC source insisted Obi had received his membership card 26 days earlier.
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Also on the line are Saliu Mustapha and Kolo Jiya in Kwara, who left APC for PDP after falling out with Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, as well as Oyo Governor Seyi Makinde, who declared for president on an APM/PDP platform, with PDP chieftains saying he never resigned.
In Delta, former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege who dumped APC on May 22 after failing to get gubernatorial and senatorial tickets, and now flies NDC’s Delta Central flag, is affected.
In Adamawa, Elisha Abbo (LP), Aisha Binani (NDC) who was handed NDC card by Seriake Dickson on May 1, and Abdulrahman Haske (APM) who lost APC primary, are all caught in the same storm.
In Nasarawa, former IGP Mohammed Adamu who resigned from APC on May 25 after losing the primary to Senator Aliyu Wadada and became SDP candidate on September 5, is also under the spotlight.
Pantami, Iyabo, Rivers Twist
The case of former Communications Minister Isa Pantami is even more dramatic. After defecting from APC to PDP, his PDP governorship ticket in Gombe was nullified last Tuesday by a Federal High Court which ordered a rerun. A fresh primary with Pantami, Khamisu Mailantarki and Usman Garry is now fixed for September 29.
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Iyabo Obasanjo, daughter of former President Obasanjo, who quit APC on May 31 after losing the governorship race and returned to PDP on June 17 to pick the Ogun Central senatorial ticket, is also being examined.
In Rivers, APC dismissed fears over its governorship candidate O.K. Chinda, whose PDP resignation letter was dated April 23, just days after INEC’s initial April 21 register deadline later extended to May 10.
“Our candidate remains O.K. Chinda. He will run and he will win,” said party spokesman Chibike Ikenga.
What The Law Now Says
Human rights lawyer Okoi Obono-Obla explained the judgment originated from ZLP’s suit FHC/ABJ/509/2026 challenging the sections. Justice Mohammed Umar dismissed it on May 5, the Court of Appeal struck it down, but the Supreme Court has now restored it and awarded N2m cost against ZLP.
Section 77(5) says only names in the register submitted 21 days before primaries can participate. Section 77(6) bans using any other register. Section 77(7) bars parties that fail to submit from fielding candidates. Section 84(2) kills indirect primaries.
Parties say their lawyers are now studying the ruling.
