The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday unveiled a revised draft of its 2026 Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, seeking input from political parties to strengthen the electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
At a consultative meeting with party leaders in Abuja, INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan said the new regulations align with the Electoral Act 2026 and address gaps identified in previous frameworks.
He stressed that credible elections begin well before voting day and highlighted the importance of transparency in candidate selection.
“We gather not only to discuss the newly drafted INEC Regulation and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2026, but also to reaffirm our collective commitment to enhancing the democratic process in Nigeria.
Credible elections begin long before polling day; they begin in the transparency of the processes that produce the candidates,” Amupitan said.
The revised guidelines follow a comprehensive review of the 2022 regulations and were informed by empirical findings, including the Political Party Performance Index developed with support from the Westminster Foundation for Democracy.
The review revealed a “disturbing gap between party constitutions and grassroots realities,” he noted.
The framework introduces reforms in key areas, including party registration and mergers, internal operations, conduct of primaries, campaign activities, financial transparency, and conditions for deregistration.
According to Amupitan, these measures aim to curb irregularities in party primaries.
“These guidelines aim to sanitise party primaries and end opaque processes that impose unpopular candidates, fuelling voter apathy and avoidable litigation,” he said.
He also highlighted provisions on campaign finance, noting that the Electoral Act 2026 empowers the commission to determine election expenses in consultation with political parties and urged stakeholders to focus on clauses relating to funding and expenditure.
With the 2027 general elections scheduled for January 16 for presidential and National Assembly polls and February 6 for governorship and state assembly elections, Amupitan warned that INEC is operating within a compressed timeline.
“We are operating within a compressed timetable, which demands what I call surgical precision,” he said.
The draft regulations include measurable benchmarks to boost the participation of women, youth, and persons with disabilities.
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He encouraged political parties to view the regulations as safeguards rather than restrictions. “By sharpening these rules, we are protecting the sovereign will of the Nigerian people from nomination to the final declaration of results,” Amupitan said.
Reaffirming INEC’s neutrality, he added, “INEC remains a neutral umpire, but we are no longer passive observers to the erosion of democratic values.”
In his remarks, the National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, Dr. Yusuf Dantalle, raised concerns over provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, warning that unresolved issues could undermine the credibility of the 2027 general elections.
“Critical issues, if not urgently addressed, could jeopardise the success of the 2027 General Election,” Dantalle said.
He described the law as falling short of public expectations, representing a setback to Nigeria’s democratic progress.
Dantalle criticized provisions he said place undue pressure on political parties, particularly those outside government, and called for a review of mandatory direct primaries.
“The choice of candidate selection methods remains an internal affair of political parties,” he said, urging the National Assembly to restore indirect primaries as an option.
He also described as impractical and exclusionary the requirement for parties to submit membership registers, including National Identification Numbers, within a limited timeframe.
He emphasized the need for mandatory electronic transmission of election results, warning against a repeat of past lapses. “This is a fundamental demand of the Nigerian people,” he said.
Dantalle further called for stronger measures against electoral malpractice, including the establishment of an Electoral Offences Commission, and stressed the importance of rebuilding public trust in the system.
“The credibility of the Commission is at stake, and public confidence hinges on the assurance that every vote will count,” he added, noting that the international community would be closely watching Nigeria’s 2027 elections.