Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA) has declared that recent reforms by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have effectively put an end to the long-standing practice of midnight substitution of candidates by political party leaders.

Speaking at a town hall meeting in Kaduna aimed at sensitising stakeholders on electoral innovations ahead of the 2027 general elections, Executive Director of PAACA, Ezenwa Nwagwu, said digital reforms by INEC have shut the door on last-minute candidate changes that once undermined internal party democracy.

The forum brought together representatives from political parties, civil society organisations, security agencies, religious bodies, persons with disabilities (PWDs), youth groups, and the media.

Participants examined challenges from previous elections, reviewed the impact of electoral reforms, and discussed strategies to improve voter confidence and electoral transparency.

According to Nwagwu, tools such as the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal (ICNP), which requires parties to upload candidate details and supporting documents electronically within strict deadlines, have reduced manipulation and fostered greater transparency.

He highlighted the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), Political Party Financial Auditing System, and the INECPRES portal for recruiting ad-hoc staff.

He noted that the reforms have improved voter confidence and reduced post-election litigation.

The PAACA Executive Director said innovations such as the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal (ICNP – Web Version) have simplified the primary elections nomination process by political parties and improved transparency.

He said'”Starting around the 2019 cycle and strengthened further by provisions in the Electoral Act 2022, INEC introduced online portals for political parties to submit the names and details of candidates who emerged from primaries. Parties now must upload results and supporting documents directly to the INEC Candidates Nomination Portal (ICNP), with strict deadlines.

“Before this reforms, the process of submitting candidates’ names to INEC was largely manual, paper-based, and, frankly, chaotic. Party leaders could swap names at the last minute, sometimes after candidates had genuinely won primaries. This led to endless court cases, bitter intra-party disputes, and a sense among party members that the real contest wasn’t at the primary but at the party headquarters, where lists could be doctored before submission.

“This shift achieved several important things: Reduced last-minute substitution: It has become harder for parties to change names outside the clear legal window because submissions were time stamped and stored electronically.

“It also improved transparency, ensuring that party members, journalists, and election monitors could follow the process more closely and spot when parties tried to bend the rules. It has also sreamlined litigation. Courts could rely on digital records directly from INEC rather than conflicting letters from party factions.”

Addressing the gathering, the Kaduna State Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Danjuma Makama, urged stakeholders to take ownership of the electoral process by understanding and supporting reforms that promote free, fair, and credible elections.

He stressed the agency’s role in shaping public perception and promoting informed electoral choices.

He stated that the 2023 elections revealed both challenges and opportunities for growth and encouraged continuous engagement with citizens to foster better decision-making during elections.

Also speaking, Head of the Election Monitoring Unit at the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ndan Kure, said the need for synergy between electoral bodies, security agencies, and citizens to prevent violence and voter suppression.

He disclosed that INEC facilities were attacked across 15 states between 2019 and 2022, while also stressing the need for enhanced civic education, transparency, and public trust in the electoral process.

Chairman of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) in Kaduna, Mikailu Abubakar, observed that electoral reform is not just necessary but essential to restore public trust.

He expressed hope that such engagements would inspire more inclusive and accountable practices going forward.

Participants at the town hall brainstormed actionable steps to deepen electoral accountability, tackle low voter turnout, and promote peaceful participation.

Some recommendations from the townhall included the need for transparency in INEC appointments, legal protection for technological tools like BVAS and IReV, early and fair accreditation of party agents, greater inclusion of women and PWDs in candidate selection processes, and the establishment of public situation rooms for real-time election monitoring. (The Guardian)