2027 Elections: INEC Moves Early To Tighten Party Rules, Cut Litigation, Protect Poll Credibility
Credible elections are often won or lost long before ballot papers are printed. In Nigeria’s case, the battleground may well be internal party governance.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has begun a comprehensive technical review of its Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, aligning them with the newly assented Electoral Act 2026 as part of early preparations for the 2027 General Election.
Led by INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, the exercise marks a critical phase in the Commission’s reform drive aimed at strengthening oversight of political parties, reducing pre-election disputes, and deepening public trust in Nigeria’s democratic process.
The technical workshop, which brings together National Commissioners, Directors, legal experts and election administrators, is conducting a clause-by-clause review of the 2022 regulatory framework.
The goal is to ensure that party operations, from candidate nomination processes to financial reporting and dispute resolution, fully reflect the legal and operational changes introduced by the Electoral Act 2026.
INEC says the reform goes beyond legal alignment. Lessons from previous elections have revealed persistent challenges, including opaque party primaries, membership disputes, weak financial disclosure practices and exclusionary participation patterns affecting women, youth and Persons with Disabilities.
To tackle these concerns, the Commission is integrating findings from its Political Party Performance Index (PPPI), a diagnostic tool designed to identify systemic weaknesses in party governance and compliance culture.
The move signals a shift from reactive enforcement to proactive supervision based on measurable standards.
“For elections to inspire public confidence, the institutions that produce candidates must themselves operate transparently and within the law,” the Chairman stated, underscoring the importance of internal party democracy as the foundation of credible polls.
Technical support for aspects of the reform is being provided by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) alongside Nigerian legal and electoral experts.
WFD Nigeria Country Director, Adebowale Olorunmola, described the initiative as “a reconstruction of the democratic foundation,” stressing that political parties must be held to the same standards of integrity as the electoral umpire.
INEC believes that aligning its regulations early with the Electoral Act 2026 will significantly reduce pre-election litigation and administrative disputes that have historically distracted from election planning and delivery.
At the end of the exercise, a consolidated draft of the Revised Regulations and Guidelines (2026 Edition) will undergo internal validation before consultations with the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) and all registered political parties.
With 2027 still on the horizon, the Commission appears determined to fix structural cracks now, before they widen into electoral crises.
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