INEC Unveils Revised 2026 Guidelines for Political Parties Ahead of 2027 Elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has unveiled a revised draft of its 2026 Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.

INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Tuesday during a consultative meeting with political party leaders in Abuja, where he called for stakeholder input on the proposed framework.

Amupitan said the revised guidelines were developed to align with the Electoral Act 2026 and to address shortcomings identified in previous regulations, particularly those guiding the 2022 electoral cycle.

He emphasised that credible elections begin with transparent processes within political parties, especially in candidate selection.

“We are not just here to discuss new regulations, but to reaffirm our shared commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s democracy. Credible elections begin long before polling day—they begin with the transparency of candidate emergence,” he said.

According to the INEC chairman, the review followed a comprehensive assessment supported by empirical data, including insights from the Political Party Performance Index developed in collaboration with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy.

He noted that the assessment revealed a significant gap between party constitutions and actual practices at the grassroots level.

The revised guidelines introduce reforms across key areas such as party registration and mergers, internal administration, conduct of primaries, campaign operations, financial transparency, and conditions for party deregistration.

Amupitan said the measures are specifically designed to curb irregularities in party primaries and promote internal democracy.

“These guidelines aim to sanitise party primaries and eliminate opaque processes that impose unpopular candidates, which often lead to voter apathy and avoidable litigation,” he added.

On campaign finance, he explained that the Electoral Act 2026 empowers INEC to set spending limits in consultation with political parties, urging stakeholders to pay close attention to provisions relating to election funding and expenditure.

With the 2027 general elections scheduled for January 16 for presidential and National Assembly polls, and February 6 for governorship and state assembly elections, Amupitan noted that the commission is working within a tight timeline.

“We are operating within a compressed timetable that requires precision and efficiency in implementation,” he said.

He further revealed that the draft guidelines include measurable benchmarks aimed at increasing participation among women, youth, and persons with disabilities in the electoral process.

Calling for constructive engagement, the INEC chairman urged political parties to see the guidelines as protective measures rather than restrictions.

“By strengthening these rules, we are safeguarding the sovereign will of Nigerians from the nomination stage to the final declaration of results,” he stated.

Reaffirming the commission’s neutrality, Amupitan maintained that INEC remains an impartial umpire committed to defending democratic values and ensuring credible elections.