Inec give Appeal court over 60 reasons why dem must follow 2027 election guidelines

Di Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) don approach di Court of Appeal to set aside di judgement by di Federal High Court, Abuja on May 22, wey bin nullify some part of di 2027 general election timetable wey di commission bin publish.

Di Youth Party, one of di registered political parties for Nigeria, na dem carry di mata go court, according to court documents wey di BBC News Pidgin see.

Justice Mohammed Umar bin hold say Inec no get power to issue deadlines to political parties or give dem conditions wey no correspond wit di provisions of di Electoral Act.

However, for di mata wey Inec carry go to di court, Inec claim say Justice Umar commit plenty errors, and "di judgement of di trial court dey against di weight of evidence placed bifor am".

Nine grounds for di appeal

Inec list nine grounds of appeal, and more dan 60 "particular errors" wey dem claim say Justice Umar bin commit for law wen e deliver dat judgement.

Ground One: Inec claim say di lower court deny dem fair hearing by refusing to rule on one of di preliminary objections wey dem bin raise during di trial.

Alex Izinyon, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria wey file di appeal on behalf of Inec, claim say dem raise di issue say Youth Party no get di 'locus standi' to file di mata for court, and also say di suit dey "hypothetical and academic".

"Locus standi" na legal word wey mean weda pesin get di right to even carry mata come court in di first place.

"Di learned trial judge...only make findings to di issue of locus standi," Izinyon tok, adding dat since di court bin fail to make any pronouncement on di issue of di suit being academic, e mean say e don deny Inec fair hearing.

Ground Two: Inec maintain say di Justice Umar make mistake to rule say di Youth Party get locus standi for di mata.

Oga Izinyon tok say di party no show di court any particular injury wey dem bin suffer sake of di revised timetable wey Inec bin issue, and dem no tok wetin be dia "personal interest" for di mata.

Ground Three: Inec tok evidence no dey say dem impose time frames on political parties to conduct dia primary elections.

Di commission say di trial court also misinterprete sections 29(1), 82 and 84 of di Electoral Act 2026.

Di revised 2027 general election timetable no be to impose, but na to provide period wey dey permissible by di Electoral Act, Inec lawyer Alex Izinyon tok.

Izinyon say even though di commission bin explain di calculations to di trial court to show say e dey according to wetin di law tok, Justice Umar no take dia explanation into consideration.

Count Four: Inec say di trial court commit error wen e fail to apply section 151 of di Electoral Act wey mandate Inec to issue regulations, guidelines and manuals for di purpose of elections.

"Di revised timetable na. precise guideline and regulation wey section 151 of di electoral act give Inec power to do," Izinyon tok.

Count Five: Inec say dem get power from di constitution and di Electorak Act to make timetable for di 2027 general election.

"Di learned trial court no point out some of di items inside di timetable wey no dey consistent wit di (Electoral) Act," oga Izinyon stated.

Count Six: Inec also insist say Justice Umar dey wrong to rule say some of di timelines for di Inec timetable don change di political activities allowed by di Electoral Act. Di commission insist say dem get power to make regulations and guidelines of electoral activities.

Count Seven: Izinyon tok say during di trial, di Inec lawyer bin cite different decided cases to support dia position say di commission get power to make regulations and timetables for election, but Justice Umar no consider all dose arguments.

"By di doctrine of "stare decisis", di learned trial judge dey bound by di cases wey we bin cite for am, but e refuse or fail to follow same," e tok.

Count Eight: Inec tok say di Youth Party "bin fail woefully" to prove dat di Inec revised timetable bin restrict dia political activities.

Di trial court dey wrong to grant di Youth Party all dia prayers wen dem no place any sufficient material bifor di court to warrant di granting of same, di Inec lawyer tok.

Count Nine: "Di judgement of di trial court dey against di weight of evidence placed bifor am".

Based on dis grounds, Inec ask di appeal court to set aside di judgement of Justice Mohammed Umar, and to strike out di mata bicos di Youth Party no get di locus standi to bring di mata to court in di first place.

Wetin dis mean?

E neva dey clear weda Inec apply to di trial court for stay of execution of di initial judgement pending di outcome of di appeal.

If di court grant stay of execution, e mean say di 2027 election timetable wey Inec release go continue to dey go on as e be for now, until di court of appeal deliver dia judgement.

On di oda hand, if no stay of execution order dey in place, e mean say di nullification of di timelines for di election timetable wey Justice Umar bin order, go remain like dat, unless di appeal court give a different judgement.