The Independence National Electoral Commission, INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan has said the commission had convened the meeting to present the draft INEC Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties 2026 for stakeholder input.
Speaking at the consultative meeting between the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and leaders of political parties in Abuja on Tuesday the INEC Chairman said the review became necessary following the enactment of the Electoral Act 2026 and stressed that the commission could not “navigate a 2027 horizon using a 2022 map.”
Amupitan said the revised guidelines were designed to align party regulations with the new law and improve transparency in party registration, mergers, operations, primaries, campaigns, election expenses and deregistration.
He noted that the 2027 election timetable is compressed, with presidential and National Assembly polls fixed for January 16, 2027, and governorship and state assembly elections scheduled for February 6, 2027.
The INEC chairman also said the commission had embedded measurable benchmarks for the participation of women, youths and persons with disabilities in the new framework.
He urged political parties to see the draft regulations not as restrictions but as safeguards aimed at protecting the sovereign will of Nigerians from nomination to final declaration of results.
At INEC consultative meeting in Abuja, political parties reject direct primaries, oppose mandatory NIN-based membership register submission, and push for compulsory electronic transmission of results
The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has strongly criticised the Electoral Act 2026, describing it as a major setback to Nigeria’s democratic progress and calling for its urgent amendment ahead of the 2027 general election.
The IPAC National Chairman, Dr. Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, said the new law contains provisions capable of undermining the integrity of the electoral process and destabilising the country’s democracy if left unchanged.
Dantalle said the Act, rather than reflecting the expectations of Nigerians who participated in public hearings on constitutional and electoral reforms, had fallen “far short” of democratic aspirations.
He argued that the law has already placed undue pressure on political parties following INEC’s release of the timetable for the 2027 general election, especially for opposition parties and smaller political platforms outside government.
IPAC Rejects Direct Primaries, Wants Indirect Option Restored
One of the strongest objections raised by IPAC was the provision mandating direct primaries for political parties.
According to Dantalle, the mode of candidate selection should remain an internal affair of political parties and should not be dictated by legislation.
He said IPAC is demanding that the National Assembly urgently revisit the law and restore the option of indirect primaries.
Parties Oppose NIN Requirement for Membership Register
IPAC also faulted the requirement compelling political parties to submit their membership registers, including members’ National Identification Numbers (NIN), within the April 1 to April 21, 2026 window.
Dantalle described the timeline as unrealistic and exclusionary, warning that it could disenfranchise many Nigerians who do not yet have access to NIN registration facilities.
He called for the provision to be removed in the interest of inclusivity and participatory democracy.
Council Pushes Mandatory Electronic Transmission of Results
The council further demanded the restoration of mandatory electronic transmission of election results after collation at polling units.
IPAC insisted that results should be uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) immediately after announcement at polling units without any qualifying proviso.
Dantalle said this remains a fundamental public demand and a critical safeguard for electoral transparency, noting that concerns arising from the 2023 presidential election should serve as a warning against any future lapses.
Vote Buying Penalties Too Weak, IPAC Says
IPAC also expressed concern over what it described as weakened penalties for vote buying under the Electoral Act 2026.
The council renewed its call for the establishment of an Electoral Offences Commission to ensure offenders are prosecuted and punished, arguing that stronger sanctions are necessary to protect the credibility of elections.
Dantalle said the council has already appealed to the National Assembly to urgently repeal or amend the law and has also called on development partners to use diplomatic channels to support reforms aimed at safeguarding Nigeria’s democracy.
2027 Electoral Battle Lines Emerging
Tuesday’s meeting underscored growing tension between INEC’s regulatory preparations and political parties’ concerns over the legal framework guiding the 2027 general election.
While INEC is moving to operationalise the new Electoral Act through updated regulations and tighter compliance measures, political parties under IPAC are pushing back against key provisions they say could limit internal democracy, exclude voters and weaken electoral transparency.
With the 2027 timetable already in motion, the debate over the Electoral Act 2026 appears set to become one of the defining political battles ahead of the next general election.
