According to a video from 11:53 posted on the official YouTube channel of Arise News on Sunday, May 24, 2026, lawyer and current affairs analyst, Maxwell Opara, advised the Independent National Electoral Commission not to challenge the recent Federal High Court judgment concerning the Electoral Act and INEC’s powers to issue guidelines.
Speaking during an interview on This Day Live, Opara argued that the Electoral Act remains superior to regulations or guidelines issued by INEC. He maintained that the electoral body cannot create rules that contradict the provisions of an Act passed by the National Assembly.
While reacting to reports that INEC may study the judgment and possibly appeal, Opara insisted that the court’s decision was straightforward and legally sound. According to him, the Constitution empowers INEC to make regulations, but such regulations must align with the Electoral Act and not override it.
He further explained that subsidiary rules made by institutions cannot supersede the main law establishing those institutions. Opara stated that the court was correct in ruling that INEC acted beyond its powers by issuing guidelines that conflicted with the Electoral Act.
During the interview, he said, “I advise INEC not to appeal against that judgment; just allow what is in the Electoral Act to stand.”….Read_More…