INEC’s 2026 Election Guidelines Face Backlash Over “Overregulation and Exclusion”

The Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) has strongly criticized the newly released 2026 electoral guidelines by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), describing them as overly bureaucratic, impractical, and insufficient to ensure credible elections ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general polls.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the group acknowledged INEC’s efforts to improve transparency, particularly in party primaries, but argued that the reforms fall short of addressing the deeper structural issues undermining Nigeria’s electoral system.

According to MCE, the guidelines introduce excessive regulatory control over the internal affairs of political parties, which could weaken internal democracy and infringe on the constitutional right to freedom of association. The group also warned that the framework may alienate grassroots participants and create unnecessary disputes within political parties.

The organization raised concerns over compliance requirements, especially the directive for political parties to submit membership registers with National Identification Numbers (NINs) within a limited timeframe. It described the requirement as exclusionary, noting that millions of Nigerians remain outside the national identity database, thereby risking disenfranchisement; particularly for smaller political parties.

MCE further expressed alarm over INEC’s acknowledgement of operating under a compressed electoral timetable, warning that rushed processes could lead to errors, disputes, and increased litigation, ultimately eroding public trust in the system.

A major point of contention highlighted in the statement is the lack of clarity on the electronic transmission of election results. The group described this omission as critical, stressing that transparent, real-time result transmission remains essential to restoring confidence in Nigeria’s elections.

On enforcement, MCE noted that while the guidelines emphasize compliance, they fail to outline strong mechanisms for prosecuting electoral offences. The group reiterated its call for the establishment of an independent Electoral Offences Commission to address the culture of impunity in the electoral process.

The statement also pointed to rising voter apathy, describing it as a rational response to a system many Nigerians perceive as compromised. It argued that the guidelines do not provide a convincing strategy to rebuild public trust or encourage voter participation.

To address these concerns, MCE urged INEC to undertake urgent reforms, including guaranteeing real-time electronic transmission of results, strengthening enforcement mechanisms, adopting more flexible regulatory approaches, and improving voter engagement and education.

The group concluded that Nigeria’s democratic future depends not on the number of regulations introduced but on the transparency, inclusiveness, and integrity of the electoral process.