Deji Adeyanju has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to act on the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on the Electoral Act 2026.
The human rights lawyer and political commentator said INEC should update its official records to reflect the implications of the apex court’s judgment, including removing the names of candidates affected by the decision from its online portal.
Adeyanju made the demand in a statement issued on Monday.
He based his position on Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which provides for the enforcement of Supreme Court decisions by authorities and persons across Nigeria.
He argued that INEC, as the country’s electoral management body, has a constitutional obligation to give effect to the judgment and should not delay the necessary administrative measures.
Adeyanju said the commission should ensure that its candidate information and other relevant records accurately reflect the legal consequences of the Supreme Court ruling.
The Supreme Court recently intervened in a legal dispute over provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 dealing with political party membership registers and candidate nomination.
In its September 24 judgment, a seven-member panel unanimously allowed INEC’s appeal and restored Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2), which had been struck down by the Court of Appeal.
The Court of Appeal had earlier ruled against the disputed provisions after a challenge involving the Zenith Labour Party. The Supreme Court subsequently set aside that decision and restored the provisions.
Among other things, the restored provisions establish requirements concerning the membership registers political parties submit to INEC and the use of those registers during primaries, congresses and conventions.
Section 84(2) also provides that political parties are to nominate candidates through direct primaries or consensus.
Adeyanju said the commission should consequently take all required administrative steps to ensure full compliance with the judgment.
He also maintained that compliance should be comprehensive rather than selective, arguing that INEC’s official portal should accurately reflect the court’s decision.
The issue is likely to remain significant as political parties and INEC prepare for the 2027 elections and deal with the practical implications of the restored provisions of the Electoral Act.
