The Federal High Court in Abuja ruled on Thursday that the Independent National Electoral Commission lacks the power to shorten timelines for party primaries and candidate nominations that the Electoral Act already sets out. The decision essentially returns control of these processes to political parties themselves, removing authority INEC had been exercising.
The Peoples Redemption Party welcomed the judgment in a statement from its National Publicity Secretary, Muhammed Bello Ishaq. He said the party was studying the ruling and acknowledged that challenges lay ahead, particularly if INEC decided to appeal the decision. "We hope that patriots and influential stakeholders will intervene to restrain such actions," Ishaq said.
PRP framed the judgment as a victory for democratic development. "It promotes the growth and development of our democratic culture by restoring critical responsibilities to political parties, which INEC had usurped," the party said in its statement. The ruling, according to PRP, expands decision-making power within parties and removes what it called the "unhealthy regimentation of our activities".
The party predicted that the All Progressives Congress would benefit significantly from this judgment. "The ruling party, APC, is likely to be a major beneficiary of this judgment, given its current desperate state in addressing the multiple grievances arising from its attempts to handpick candidates," PRP said. It added that other opposition parties would also seek to use the ruling to strengthen their internal processes and expand membership.
PRP used the statement to launch a recruitment pitch, inviting Nigerians to join the party. "We invite well-meaning and patriotic Nigerians to our party so as to salvage Nigeria and Nigerians from the grip of bad governance," the party said. The exact next steps from INEC, whether an appeal will be filed, or how political parties will immediately adjust their primary processes remain unclear as the commission considers the court's ruling.
