The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has initiated a thorough technical review of its regulations for political parties as part of measures to strengthen Nigeria’s democratic framework.
This process is designed to align the Commission’s rules with the recently enacted Electoral Act 2026, providing legal clarity and operational efficiency ahead of the 2027 General Election.
INEC’s Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, is leading the review, which aims to enhance oversight and reduce recurring pre-election disputes that often burden the judiciary.
In a statement released on Sunday, the 1st of March, 2026, by his Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser, Adedayo Oketola, Prof. Amupitan highlighted that election integrity depends on how parties conduct themselves.
“For elections to inspire public confidence, the institutions that produce candidates must themselves operate transparently and within the law,” he said.
The technical workshop assembles National Commissioners, legal professionals, and directors to examine the 2022 framework clause by clause. A central element of the reform is the integration of the Political Party Performance Index (PPPI), a diagnostic tool intended to shift INEC’s role from reactive enforcement to proactive supervision guided by measurable governance benchmarks.
The review targets persistent challenges such as non-transparent primaries, weak financial disclosures, and the marginalization of certain groups.
Updated guidelines will set stricter standards for including women, youth, and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in party structures, alongside more robust membership documentation procedures.
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Technical assistance is provided by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD). WFD Country Director, Adebowale Olorunmola, described the effort as a reconstruction of Nigeria’s democratic foundation.
“We are moving toward an era where political parties are held to the same high standards of integrity as the electoral commission itself,” Olorunmola said, emphasizing that PPPI data will support deeper internal party democracy.
Once the technical review concludes, INEC plans to submit a consolidated draft of the 2026 Revised Regulations to the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) and other stakeholders for validation.
By updating these subsidiary laws early, the Commission seeks to reduce administrative bottlenecks and ensure political parties operate as disciplined institutions capable of producing credible national leadership.