Chidinma Iroegbu
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has begun reviewing its regulations to align with the Electoral Act 2026, declaring that credible elections start with political parties operating transparently and within the law ahead of the 2027 general election.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, said the Commission is updating its guidelines before party primaries fixed for April 23 to May 30, stressing that “for elections to inspire public confidence, the institutions that produce candidates must themselves operate transparently and within the law.”
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Dayo Oketola, the Commission said the new Electoral Act introduces sweeping changes affecting party administration, candidate nomination, compliance requirements and dispute resolution.
INEC said it is drawing lessons from previous elections to tackle recurring challenges such as opaque primaries, membership disputes, poor financial disclosure and exclusionary practices that have triggered litigation and electoral uncertainty.
The Commission disclosed that it is mainstreaming findings from the Political Party Performance Index (PPPI) to strengthen preventive regulation and shift oversight “from reactive enforcement to proactive supervision anchored on measurable standards.”
Country Director of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) Nigeria, Adebowale Olorunmola, said reforms grounded in empirical data would deepen compliance and transparency. “We are moving toward an era where political parties are held to the same high standards of integrity as the electoral commission itself,” he stated.
Speaking at a citizens’ town hall in Abuja organised by the Civil Society Network on Election Integrity, Amupitan assured Nigerians that electronic transmission of results would not fail in 2027. “Glitch has been eliminated. It will not resurface in Nigeria. We have the capacity to transmit results electronically,” he said.
While admitting logistical lapses during the recent FCT area council election, the INEC chairman said result management and logistics are being strengthened. He appealed for realistic expectations, noting, “We may not be able to achieve a 100 per cent perfect election for now, but we will strive to give this country the best election.”