Parties insist on amendment to Electoral Act 2026, want indirect primaries restored

•As INEC’s updated guidelines review party registration, merger, deregistration, campaign expenses

POLITICAL parties under the aegis of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) have again demanded that the National Assembly, as a matter of urgency, revisits and amends the Electoral Act 2026.

The national chairman of IPAC, Dr Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, made request on Tuesday, during a consultative meeting with party leaders on the review of Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties convened by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at its national headquarters, in Abuja.

He said specifically, the provision mandating direct primaries must be reconsidered, and the option of indirect primaries restored.

IPAC said the choice of candidate selection methods remains an internal affair of political parties and must not be subjected to undue legislative interference.

He added that the requirement for political parties to submit their membership registers including members’ National Identification Numbers (NIN) within the limited timeframe of 1st to 21st April 2026, is impractical and exclusionary.

He said the provision risked disenfranchising a large segment of Nigerians who lacked access to NIN registration facilities, stressing that this requirement should be expunged in the spirit of inclusivity and participatory democracy.

IPAC said equally important was the restoration of the electronic transmission of election results after collation at polling units, stating that transmission of results to the IREV should be mandatory immediately after results are announced at the polling unit and no proviso is required.

He said: “This is a fundamental demand of the Nigerian people and a critical safeguard for electoral transparency.

“The challenges experienced during the 2023 presidential election serve as a reminder of the risks associated with lapses in this area. Such occurrences must not be allowed to recur. These the Council reiterated at the recently concluded General Assembly.”

He said IPAC is also “deeply troubled” that the new Electoral Act appears to weaken penalties for vote-buying an offence that continues to erode the credibility of our elections, reiterating its call for the establishment of an Electoral Offences Commission to ensure that violators are held accountable.

He said: “Stronger sanctions will serve as a deterrent and reinforce the sanctity of our democratic process.”

Dantalle stated that steps had been taken by appealing to the National Assembly to urgently repeal the 2026 Electoral Act in the interest of credible and transparent electoral process, calling on developmental partners to urgently deploy their diplomatic influences in the interest of a sustainable democracy in Nigeria.

He said he was honoured to address the gathering on critical issues that, if not urgently addressed, could undermine the integrity of our electoral process and jeopardise the success of the 2027 general election.

IPAC boss said INEC must demonstrate preparedness, professionalism, and technological efficiency, particularly in the deployment of BVAS and the IReV portal for the coming Ekiti and Osun governorship elections, stressing that there must be zero tolerance for lapses.

INEC’s updated guidelines review party registration, merger, deregistration, campaign, poll expenses

While speaking, INEC chairman, Professor Joash O. Amupitan, SAN, said that the newly drafted regulations encompass crucial areas that are central to the operations of political parties in the country’s democratic framework.

He reiterated his assertion that “Credible elections begin long before polling day” as “they begin in the transparency of the processes that produce the candidates.”

He said these regulations have been formulated under the powers granted to the commission by the Constitution and the Electoral Act, thereby representing a significant review of the Regulations made in 2022, now aligned with the recently enacted Electoral Act of 2026.

The chairman said in particular, mention must be made of section 93(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, which states that election expenses incurred by a political party for the management or the conduct of an election shall be determined by the Commission in consultation with the political parties.

Consequently, he said INEC would like the political parties to take special note of Clause 40(4) & (5) of the draft Regulation dealing with election expenses of political parties for the management of party primaries and for the conduct of elections.

He added that the commission has concluded a clause by clause realignment of its Regulations and Guidelines to ensure they are not only legally airtight but operationally in sync with the new Act, expressing hope that these updated guidelines will foster a more transparent, fair, and equitable electoral landscape for all stakeholders involved.

Amupitan said with the presidential and National Assembly elections fixed for January 16, 2027 and the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections fixed for February 6, 2027, the commission was operating in a compressed timetable as a result of the reduction in the various timelines in the Electoral Act, 2026, which demanded “surgical precision.”

He, therefore, said the newly drafted regulations encompass crucial areas that are central to the operations of political parties in our democratic framework, including: registration and merger of political parties, stating that “We have streamlined the process to ensure that it is more accessible while maintaining a robust framework that upholds democratic principles.”

On party operations, he said clear guidelines had been instituted to govern the day to day functioning of political parties, ensuring compliance with our laws and promoting accountability.

This, he said, aims at sanitising party primaries, which intends to end the era of opaque processes that impose unpopular candidates, fueling voter apathy and a deluge of avoidable litigation.

On conduct of primaries, he said the commission recognised the critical role of primary elections in our political system and had outlined procedures that uphold fairness and transparency within political parties.

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On conduct of rallies, processions, and campaigns, Amupitan said regulations had been put in place to ensure that campaign activities were conducted peacefully and respected the rights and dignity of all citizens.

On finances and election expense, he said: “We have established clear standards regarding the financing of political activities, emphasising the need for transparency and accountability in managing party funds and campaign expenses.”

On deregistration of parties, he said, “We have also included provisions that define the circumstances under which a political party may be deregistered, ensuring that the process is just and equitable.”

He stressed that the commission had also embedded measurable benchmarks for the participation of women, youth, and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).