Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has known as at the Unbiased Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC) to in an instant implement the Ultimate Courtroom on birthday party club sign in and compliance with Sections 77 of the Electoral Act 2026.
Recall that the Ultimate Courtroom delivered a judgment on 24 September, 2026 in INEC v Zenith Labour Birthday party with Go well with No. SC/CV/495/2026 relating to compliance with the statutory necessities governing the submission and use of political events’ club registers for birthday party primaries, congresses and conventions.
In a letter dated ninth October, 2026, which used to be addressed to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, and signed via Nationwide Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda and Nationwide Secretary, Sen. Ajibola Basiru, the birthday party mentioned INEC, as appellant within the go well with, is constitutionally sure to provide impact to the judgment beneath Segment 287(1) of the 1999 Charter.
The Ultimate Courtroom in Go well with No. SC/CV/495/2026 put aside the Courtroom of Attraction order that had nullified Segment 77(5) to (7) and Segment 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026 and Process Serial No. 2 of INEC’s Revised Timetable for the 2027 Basic Election.
The APC mentioned the judgment affirmed the necessary nature of Segment 77.
Segment 77(4) supplies that every political birthday party shall make its club sign in to be had to the Fee no longer later than 21 days earlier than its primaries, congresses or conventions.
Additionally, Segment 77(5) supplies that best participants whose names are within the sign in can be eligible to vote and be voted for, whilst Segment 77(6) prohibits use of some other sign in.
The governing birthday party cited the Ultimate Courtroom’s pronouncement at web page 24 that the sensible impact of Segment 77(7) is {that a} birthday party that fails to publish its virtual club sign in inside the prescribed length could also be precluded from fielding applicants.
The ruling birthday party famous that the target of Segment 77 is to make sure that political events adhere to the foundations of inner democracy, in particular during the honest, clear and verifiable behavior of birthday party primaries, congresses and conventions.
The birthday party maintained that the court docket anchored its choice on Segment 228(a) of the Charter which empowers the Nationwide Meeting to make rules to make sure inner democracy, mentioning Ardo v Nyako (2014).
The birthday party famous: “Within the cases, the All Progressives Congress respectfully requests the Fee to: (i) Straight away implement the judgment of the Ultimate Courtroom in INEC v Zenith Labour Birthday party, Go well with No. SC/CV/495/2026, delivered on 24 September 2026, in response to its phrases and prison impact.
“Check compliance with segment 77(4) of the Electoral Act 2026 via figuring out whether or not every political birthday party submitted its virtual club sign in inside the statutory length of no longer later than 21 days earlier than the related number one election, congress or conference.
“Practice the statutory penalties of non-compliance in response to Segment 77(7) of the Act and the Ultimate Courtroom’s choice, together with the exclusion of any birthday party from fielding applicants the place the statutory stipulations for that end result had been established.
“Make certain strict adherence to Sections 77(5) and 77(6) via requiring that best applicants whose names seem within the sign in duly submitted to the Fee are recognised as eligible to vote and be voted for within the related inner birthday party election, and that no selection sign in is used rather than the sign in submitted to INEC.
“As a political birthday party, we insist that compliance with segment 77 of the Electoral Act 2026 isn’t an issue of discretion however a statutory legal responsibility whose interpretation has been authoritatively addressed via the Ultimate Courtroom.
“Permitting political events to omit the prescribed statutory necessities with out the appliance of the results stipulated via legislation would undermine the goals of inner birthday party democracy, electoral transparency and the guideline of legislation.
“We, due to this fact, urge the Fee to behave expeditiously and decisively, in strict conformity with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, the Charter of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), and the judgment of the Ultimate Courtroom, which will have to be enforced in any a part of the Federation via all government and individuals, to make sure that the statutory regime governing birthday party club registers is successfully applied.”