More than a month after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the 2026 Electoral Act into law, political parties in Nigeria yesterday rejected the law, saying its provisions are a setback to Nigeria’s democratic progress.

Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Yusuf Dantalle, said the council will convene a general assembly to determine the action to take following its engagement with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the contentious provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 and other related matters.

Leaders of various political parties in Nigeria under the aegis of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) at a meeting with INEC officials in Abuja, Tuesday, had urged the National Assembly to revisit the law.

Speaking on behalf of his colleagues, Dantalle said the parties specifically reject the clause mandating them to conduct direct primaries insisting 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.

This, he said 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 said 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.

“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” he said, adding that “unfortunately, the Electoral Act 2026 falls far short of these expectations.

He 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.

The council 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, and urged 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.

He said, “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.”

Guidelines for 2026 general elections align with Electoral Act – Amupitan

Earlier, the Chairman of INEC, 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.

The 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.

‘Rejection coming a bit too late’

A Professor of Political Science at the Bayero University Kano, Kamilu Sani Fagge, has said that the rejection of the amended electoral Act 2026 by the Inter-party Advisory Council IPAC, especially where it prescribes how political party primaries must produce candidates for the election, as coming a bit too late, noting however, that the emended electoral law is not perfect.

He said what IPAC should have done was to stand firm against some provisions before it was signed into law and called for a review.

“In other words, it gives advantages to the ruling party, but the rejection by the Inter-party advisory council is coming too late.

“They should have stood firmly against it before it was signed. Since it has been signed there is nothing that can happen. They should try and see if there could be a review by the Senate or the House of representatives, but it is too late now,” he added.

Fagge said the rejection could potentially create legitimacy problems for the forthcoming elections, especially with key actors questioning some provisions in the law.

He said, “I think that will cast a lot of doubts on the 2027 elections. The credibility of the elections will be challenged, especially given the fact that some of the major actors are now questioning it.”

On whether that would substantially affect the election outcomes, Fagge said that will depend on how the election is conducted, noting however, that as it is now, the electoral act has tied the hands of opposition parties and given undue advantage to the ruling party.

Another political analyst, Kabiru Sa’id Sufi, described the controversy over the mode of party primaries as a “double-edged sword,” noting that both direct and indirect systems come with inherent strengths and weaknesses.

Sufi said the adoption of direct primaries was largely a response to abuses associated with the indirect system.

“When the issue of indirect primaries was adopted, there were complaints largely about delegates collecting money and imposing candidates… usually for their own monetary gain,” he said.

He explained that under the indirect system, “winning elections was just a question of the highest bidder who will grease the palms of delegates and take the ticket irrespective of the wishes of the people.”

He said the shift to direct primaries was well-intentioned but failed to fully consider Nigeria’s realities.

Sufi noted that several analysts had earlier expressed doubts about the feasibility of direct primaries, faulting political parties for raising objections only at this stage.

On the requirement for submission of membership registers with National Identification Numbers (NIN), Sufi said the issue was less about the NIN itself and more about the process and timeline.

“The concern is not really about NIN, because it has become a requirement for many activities. The real issue is the process and the timeframe,” he said.

He warned that the deadline could exclude many Nigerians, particularly those in rural areas or areas with poor network coverage.

Sufi also pointed out that the timeline could complicate ongoing political alignments, especially among opposition parties.

“It will be difficult to have alignments and realignments once the deadline has passed. People may be forced to remain in parties they are dissatisfied with,” he noted.

“I don’t know why the parties did not cry foul from the beginning. It seems they have only become aware of the dangers, albeit belatedly,” he said.

‘Demands on Electoral Act unrealistic’

A political analyst, Jide Ojo, dismissed calls by IPAC for urgent amendments to the Electoral Act 2026, describing the move as ill-timed and lacking legal footing.

Ojo said while IPAC has the right to make demands, it should instead seek judicial interpretation if it believes certain provisions are defective.

“Well, it is the prerogative of IPAC to make those demands, but it is also the prerogative of the National Assembly to legislate. If they feel aggrieved, they should approach the courts to challenge any section of the law,” he said.

He noted that there is currently no political will within the legislature to reopen the law, especially with party primaries less than a month away.

“As we speak, with party primaries starting in less than one month, the timing is too short to amend the Electoral Act. There is no indication that the National Assembly is even considering such changes,” he added.

On IPAC’s insistence that the mode of primaries is an internal party affair, Ojo described the argument as inconsistent.

“I think IPAC is not entirely being truthful. The mode of primaries has always been defined by law. Before 2022, we had direct and indirect primaries prescribed by law, and later consensus was added. Why is it now that they are raising the issue of internal party affairs?” he queried.

The analyst also disagreed with claims that the NIN requirement could disenfranchise party members, arguing that registration has become widely accessible across the country.

“Getting a NIN has been made very easy. There are over 100 centres nationwide, including telecom outlets and immigration offices. It doesn’t take more than 30 minutes to one hour,” he stated.

He urged political parties to mobilise their members to comply with the requirement instead of opposing it. (Daily Trust)

•PHOTO: Members of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) during a meeting with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the review of the NEC Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2026, held at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja yesterday