With less than seven months to the 2027 general election, Nigeria’s political battlefield has expanded beyond party conventions into the courtroom, where judges are increasingly shaping the fortunes of political parties and candidates.
From the registration of new parties to leadership tussles and candidate recognition, the judiciary has emerged as one of the most influential institutions shaping the country’s political landscape.
The growing wave of litigations has effectively shifted the centre of political decision-making from party organs to the courts, raising concerns about whether judicial pronouncements, rather than internal democracy and voters’ choices, will determine the trajectory of the 2027 election.
Perhaps, the clearest indication of this trend is the emergence of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), the registration of which was eventually secured following a Federal High Court judgment directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the party after years of legal disputes over its application.
The party’s recognition marked one of the most significant judicial interventions in Nigeria’s evolving multiparty system.
However, even after securing registration, the NDC remains entangled in another legal battle, with a rival political platform challenging its logo and identity, illustrating how litigation has become an almost permanent feature of party politics in Nigeria.
Similarly, the National Democratic Party (NDP) also secured its registration following a court judgment delivered earlier this year, reinforcing the growing role of judicial intervention in party matters and the electoral process.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC), now one of the major opposition platforms, presents perhaps, the most dramatic example of judicial influence.
The party descended into an unprecedented leadership crisis after splintering into three rival factions. One faction was led by former Senate President David Mark, another by the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, while the other was led by Bala Nafiu Gombe. Each faction claimed legitimacy and sought recognition from the electoral authorities as they all presented candidates for the 2027 poll.
The crisis produced conflicting judgments from the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal, prompting uncertainty over the party’s recognised leadership. At one point, the electoral commission withdrew recognition from both the Mark and Nafiu Bala factions because of subsisting court orders, leaving the party in constitutional limbo.
The uncertainty persisted until the Supreme Court intervened, setting aside the Court of Appeal’s status quo order, restoring recognition to the David Mark-led leadership while directing the substantive dispute back to the Federal High Court for determination. The relief was temporary as the Appeal Court in Abuja Monday, in a split decision of two-to-one, affirmed the judgment restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising or participating in any state congresses organised by committees appointed by the David Mark-led caretaker leadership of the ADC.
A three-member panel of the appellate court, in a lead verdict delivered by Justice Okon Abang, said it found no reason to set aside the restraining order the Federal High Court in Abuja had issued against the Mark-led ADC on April 29, 2026.
Although the leadership of the ADC has given an indication of going to the Supreme Court, the development will no doubt alter the arrangements and calculations of the party until the Supreme Court gives a definitive verdict anytime soon.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has also witnessed extensive judicial intervention. The party’s prolonged internal crisis generated multiple suits before the Federal High Court, Court of Appeal and eventually the Supreme Court.
The litigation revolved around the legitimacy of the National Working Committee (NWC), the suspension of key officials and the validity of the party’s convention.
Following months of legal battles, the Supreme Court’s judgment effectively settled the dispute by recognising the leadership structure backed by Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), while invalidating rival arrangements, thereby reshaping the party’s internal power.
Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, Accord Party presidential aspirant, has also filed a suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to be recognised as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
He is asking the court to compel INEC to upload his name and particulars as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 poll.
These cases are not isolated. Nigeria’s political history is replete with judicial decisions that have altered party leadership.
Court judgments have previously determined the authentic national leadership of parties including the PDP, ADC, Labour Party (LP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), People’s Redemption Party (PRP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), the All Progressives Congress (APC) and others in various internal disputes.
Court battles may alter INEC’s roadmap to 2027 elections
With political parties already submitting candidates for the 2027 general election, INEC is battling six major court cases the outcomes of which could redefine the electoral process, clarify the commission’s powers and determine the eligibility of some political parties.
The first two suits centre on INEC’s revised election timetable. In Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/517/2026, the Youth Party challenged provisions of the timetable, arguing that INEC lacked the authority to shorten timelines guaranteed under the Electoral Act.
The Federal High Court agreed, nullifying the affected provisions. INEC has appealed, maintaining that its election timetable is an integrated framework that cannot be altered piecemeal without disrupting preparations.
A similar verdict was delivered in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/720/2026, filed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP). While affirming INEC’s power to issue election guidelines, the court ruled that it could not amend statutory timelines for the nomination, withdrawal and substitution of candidates. The Court of Appeal has reserved judgment in both cases.
Another high-profile suit, FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, was instituted by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators, seeking the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord (A), Action Alliance (AA), Action People’s Party (APP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
Although the Federal High Court granted the request, the Court of Appeal stayed execution of the judgment pending the determination of appeals filed by the affected parties. The appeals have been adjourned until July 14.
Also pending before the Federal High Court is Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1115/2026, filed by Ahidjo Ibrahim Karlahi against INEC and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), challenging the legality of the party’s registration and recognition.
The pending cases have become the biggest legal test of Nigeria’s electoral preparations ahead of 2027. They will determine the scope of INEC’s constitutional powers, the validity of its revised timetable and whether some political parties can participate in the elections.
Despite the litigation, INEC says it will continue implementing its timetable, including the July 14 new deadline for submission of candidates, while complying with whatever decisions the courts eventually reach.
Legal experts have urged the appellate courts to expedite the cases to prevent uncertainty from disrupting the electoral process ahead of the January 16 and February 6, 2027 poll.
Implications for the 2027 election
While judicial intervention is often necessary to uphold the rule of law, analysts are of the view that its increasing prominence raises difficult questions about the health of internal party democracy.
There are increasing allegations that the judiciary may have lent itself to being used to malign, intimidate and harass opposition parties.
Jackson Lekan Ojo, political analyst, told BusinessDay in a telephone interview that excessive dependence on litigation weakens party institutions.
Ojo said that there was also the risk that public confidence in elections could diminish if voters perceive that judges, instead of party members and ultimately the electorate, are deciding political outcomes.
“Although the judiciary remains constitutionally empowered to interpret the law and protect political rights, the increasing judicialisation of politics presents weaknesses within Nigeria’s political parties.
“Unless parties strengthen internal democracy, respect their constitutions and resolve disputes through established mechanisms, the courts are likely to remain central actors in determining not only who leads political parties but also who eventually appears on the ballot in 2027,” he said.
Whether these disputes strengthen electoral justice or deepen political uncertainty, observers say the road to the 2027 general election will run through both the courtroom and the ballot box, with judicial decisions likely to play a decisive role in determining the final outcome.
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