By Our Correspondent
National News – Political parties in Nigeria have raised concerns that new regulations proposed by the Independent National Electoral Commission could negatively affect the credibility of the country’s 2027 general elections.
The concerns were expressed by party leaders under the Inter-Party Advisory Council during a consultative meeting held in Abuja on Tuesday, where stakeholders reviewed the draft 2026 Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties unveiled by INEC.
The meeting followed the presentation of the new electoral guidelines by INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, who said the draft regulations were designed to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral process ahead of the 2027 polls.
However, party leaders warned that some provisions, including mandatory direct primaries and strict submission of membership registers, could create difficulties for political parties and potentially undermine fairness in the electoral system.
Speaking at the session, IPAC National Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle, said unresolved issues in the Electoral Act 2026 could threaten the integrity of the 2027 elections if not urgently reviewed.
According to him, the law falls short of public expectations and may represent a setback for Nigeria’s democratic progress rather than an improvement.
Dantalle criticised the proposal requiring parties to conduct mandatory direct primaries, insisting that the method of selecting candidates should remain an internal decision of political parties.
He urged the National Assembly to restore indirect primaries as an option to allow flexibility and reduce pressure on parties.
He also questioned the requirement for political parties to submit detailed membership registers containing National Identification Numbers within a short timeframe, describing the rule as impractical and potentially exclusionary.
According to him, such measures could disproportionately affect smaller parties.
The IPAC chairman further called for mandatory electronic transmission of election results, stressing that Nigerians have repeatedly demanded a transparent process that guarantees that every vote counts.
Responding to the concerns, Amupitan explained that the new guidelines were developed after reviewing the 2022 regulations and analysing findings from the Political Party Performance Index supported by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy.
He said the review revealed gaps between party constitutions and actual grassroots practices.
Amupitan added that the updated framework introduces reforms on party registration, mergers, campaign finance, internal party democracy, and candidate primaries, aimed at preventing irregularities and improving transparency in the electoral process ahead of the 2027 elections.
