The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register a political association as the Wisdom Party, just 88 days before the 2027 presidential election.
Justice James Omotosho held that the claim by Chief Mrs Chinasa Nwekeke lacked merit and that the suit had become academic.
Nwekeke, who described herself as pro tem national chairman of the Wisdom Party, filed the originating summons on April 14, 2026. She sued INEC as the sole defendant, arguing that the commission had not objected to the association’s name, symbol and logo after the statutory 90-day period following its letter of intent submitted on September 22.
She sought declarations that INEC’s administrative fee for processing political party registration applications was unreasonable and inconsistent with the Electoral Act 2022, and that the commission’s failure to respond to the letter of intent or provide account details for the fee amounted to a waiver. She asked the court to order INEC to accept the association’s formal registration application.
INEC, through its counsel, rejected the claims. It told the court that the letter of intent did not contain a party symbol and therefore failed to meet legal requirements. The commission also noted that the general election is fixed for January 2027, meaning any registration process would fall short of the required 12-month window before the polls.
In his judgment, Justice Omotosho ruled that INEC is empowered to charge administrative fees for party registration. He observed that Section 3 of the Electoral Act allows revenues and other accruals to be paid into the Independent National Electoral Commission Fund, and that the ability to generate such fees is not barred simply because the commission also receives funding from the Federation Account. He compared the practice to courts charging filing fees despite receiving funding from the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
“The claim of the plaintiff is without merit, and the suit has become academic. Consequently, the suit is hereby dismissed,” the judge held.
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