Human rights lawyer and political commentator Deji Adeyanju has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately implement the recent Supreme Court judgment on provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
Adeyanju, in a statement issued on Monday, urged the electoral commission to remove from its official portal the names of candidates affected by the apex court’s decision.
He argued that INEC was constitutionally required to give effect to the judgment, citing Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which requires authorities and persons to comply with decisions of the Supreme Court.
Adeyanju said the commission should take all necessary administrative steps to ensure that the court’s ruling is fully reflected in its records.
“The names of all candidates affected by the judgment should be removed from INEC’s official portal as part of the steps required to give effect to the Supreme Court’s decision,” he said.
He further urged INEC not to delay or selectively implement the judgment, stressing that its official records should accurately reflect the legal consequences of the court’s ruling.
Adeyanju’s call follows the Supreme Court’s unanimous judgment delivered on September 24, in which a seven-member panel allowed INEC’s appeal and restored provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 that had earlier been voided by the Court of Appeal.
The provisions restored by the apex court include Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2), which deal with political party membership registers and the procedures for nominating candidates.
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The Court of Appeal had previously declared the provisions invalid after a legal challenge involving the Zenith Labour Party, prompting INEC to appeal to the Supreme Court.
The apex court subsequently set aside the appellate court’s decision and reinstated the provisions, which the Supreme Court held were not inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution.
Adeyanju said INEC should now take prompt steps to ensure that the judgment is fully implemented and that its candidate records and other relevant administrative processes reflect the decision.