The Court of Appeal in Abuja has ruled that sections 77(5), (6), (7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026 are unconstitutional.These provisions, which required political parties to submit membership registers to INEC before primaries and limited nomination methods to direct primaries or consensus, were declared conflicting with constitutional rights.The Zenith Party challenged these rules, arguing they undermined party autonomy.The court emphasized that political parties have constitutional rights to determine membership and candidate nominations.The decision, made in an appeal case (CA/ABJ/CV/750/2026), affects the 2027 general elections.The ruling voids the timeframe for submitting membership registers but keeps the requirement for submission.This marks a significant shift in electoral law, prioritizing constitutional freedoms over legislative control.The court also overturned a previous Federal High Court decision that had invalidated INEC's 2027 election guidelines.The ruling highlights tensions between electoral commissions and political parties over internal governance rules.