…oppose submission of membership register, NIN
Over a month after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the 2026 Electoral Act into law, political parties in Nigeria, on Tuesday, rejected the law, declaring its provisions as a setback to Nigeria’s democratic progress.
Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, Yusuf Dantalle, said the council will convene a general assembly to determine their next line of action following their engagement with the Independent National Electoral Commission on the contentious provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 and other related matters.
Leaders of various political parties in Nigeria under the aegis of IPAC at a meeting with INEC officials in Abuja, Tuesday, had urged the National Assembly to revisit the law.
Dantalle, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, said the parties specifically rejected the clause mandating them to conduct direct primaries.
He insisted that the choice of candidates’ selection methods should remain the internal affair of political parties.
IPAC also opposed the requirement for political parties to submit their membership registers, including members’ National Identification Numbers (NIN), within a limited time frame, describing it as impractical and exclusionary.
Dantalle said the provision risks disenfranchising many Nigerians who lack access to NIN registration facilities and expressed concern that the law had already formed the basis for INEC’s timetable for the 2027 general elections.
He argued that this has placed pressure on political parties, particularly those not in government.
On electoral transparency, IPAC demanded the mandatory electronic transmission of results, stressing that results should be uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal immediately after declaration at polling units.
Dantalle further stated that the Act fell short of public expectations despite wide consultations during its formulation, warning that its provisions could undermine the credibility of future elections if not urgently addressed.
He said, “Nigerians participated actively in the public hearings on the Constitution and Electoral Act amendments, with the expectation that their contributions would culminate in a progressive, inclusive, and people-oriented Electoral Act.
“Unfortunately, the Electoral Act 2026 falls far short of these expectations.”
The IPAC Chairman said rather than advancing Nigeria’s democratic journey, it represents a significant regression that must be urgently addressed in the national interest, warning that lapses experienced during the 2023 presidential election must not be allowed to recur.
IPAC further raised concerns over what it described as weakened penalties for vote buying in the new law and reiterated the call for the establishment of an Electoral Offences Commission to prosecute offenders.
Dantalle said IPAC had already appealed to the National Assembly to repeal the Electoral Act 2026 in the interest of credible and transparent elections, urging development partners to support democratic reforms in Nigeria.
He noted that persistent voter apathy and trust deficit in the electoral process would continue unless decisive reforms are undertaken.
“As the umbrella body of all registered political parties, IPAC remains committed to fostering political stability, promoting credible elections, and deepening democracy in Nigeria,” he added.
Dantalle explained later that the council would review the outcome of the engagement with INEC before taking a definitive position.
“In the interactive session, there are things that we discussed that are not as bad as it was, and we now have some level of understanding with INEC, and we are going to begin to work on such,” he said.
Earlier, INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, said the commission had undertaken a comprehensive review of its 2022 Regulations and Guidelines to align them with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
He said the exercise culminated in the draft Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2026, which were presented to stakeholders for input.
Amupitan noted that credible elections begin long before polling day, stressing that transparency in the processes that produce candidates is critical to electoral integrity.
He explained that the new regulations cover key areas such as registration and merger of political parties, internal party operations, conduct of primaries, political campaigns, party financing, and deregistration procedures.
INEC chairman said the reforms are aimed at sanitising party primaries, curbing imposition of candidates, and reducing election-related litigations.
He added that the commission had also introduced measurable benchmarks to promote the participation of women, youth and persons with disabilities in party activities.
Amupitan disclosed that the commission was working with a compressed timetable for the 2027 general elections, with the Presidential and National Assembly polls scheduled for January 16, 2027, and the Governorship and State Assembly elections slated for February 6, 2027.
He urged political parties to view the new regulations as safeguards rather than restrictions, emphasising that they are designed to protect the will of the electorate from the nomination stage to the declaration of results.
Despite the concerns raised, both INEC and political parties agreed on the need for continued engagements to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral framework and ensure credible, transparent and inclusive elections in 2027.
