March 26, (THEWILL) — The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately reopen its registration portal for the Grassroot Initiative Party (GRIP), granting the group a renewed opportunity to complete its registration as a political party.
Delivering judgment, Justice Binta Nyako directed INEC to make the portal accessible to GRIP for 27 days starting from March 26, to enable the party to finalise its registration process in line with existing electoral guidelines.
“I hereby order that the defendant (INEC) should open its portal for 27 days from today for the plaintiffs to complete their registration,” the judge ruled.
Justice Nyako held that INEC’s decision to shut its registration portal just three days after granting GRIP an access code—well before the stipulated 30-day period—was inconsistent with the commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022.
The court also dismissed INEC’s objection that the suit was incompetent and statute-barred for not being filed within 14 days after the portal was shut. The judge found that the electoral body failed to provide evidence that it properly notified the plaintiffs of the closure.
According to the court, the failure to serve such correspondence amounted to a breach of due process, and this lapse was resolved against INEC.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2790/2025, was instituted by Nze Kanayo Chukwumezie and Mohammed Abas Kuti on behalf of GRIP members undergoing registration.
Through their counsel, Jideofor Ukachukwu, the plaintiffs challenged the legality of INEC’s action after they had paid the mandatory N2 million administrative fee and received an access code to complete their registration within 30 days.
They argued that the premature closure of the portal on October 19, 2025—leaving them with 27 unused days—contravened INEC’s regulations and user guide for political party registration.
The plaintiffs had sought, among other reliefs, a declaration that INEC’s action was unlawful, as well as an order compelling the commission to reopen the portal and extend the timeframe to enable them to complete all requirements for registration.
Justice Nyako’s ruling effectively restores GRIP’s opportunity to participate in Nigeria’s democratic process, reinforcing the principles of fairness, transparency, and adherence to established procedures.
In a related development, the court dismissed two separate suits filed by the Green Future Party (GFP) and the Liberation People’s Party (LPP) against INEC.
In the GFP case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2791/2025, the court held that the party failed to meet the constitutional requirements for registration.
Similarly, in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/46/2026 filed by LPP, Justice Nyako ruled that although the party’s access code was still valid at the time the portal was shut, it was responsible for its own shortcomings and therefore not entitled to any relief or cost.
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