2027: INEC to align party regulations, guidelines with Electoral Act
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will align its political party guidelines and regulations with the recently passed Electoral Act 2026 and what it called emerging realities. Chief Press Secretary
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will align its political party guidelines and regulations with the recently passed Electoral Act 2026 and what it called emerging realities.
Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola said in a statement that the exercise represents a critical phase in the Commission’s ongoing reform aimed at strengthening political party oversight, improving compliance culture, reducing pre-election disputes, and enhancing public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process.
The statement said Technical Workshop on the revision of the INEC Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties is being organised and will bring together National Commissioners and Directors across operational departments, legal experts, election administrators, and institutional stakeholders to undertake a detailed clause-by-clause review of the existing framework which was published in 2022
The statement said that “the recently enacted Electoral Act 2026 introduces significant legal and operational changes affecting political party administration, candidate nomination processes, compliance obligations, dispute resolution mechanisms, and the Commission’s regulatory mandate.
“Consequently, INEC is reviewing its subsidiary regulations to ensure full legal alignment and operational clarity well ahead of the next electoral cycle.
“Beyond legal compliance, the Commission is drawing lessons from previous elections to strengthen preventive regulation. Persistent challenges such as opaque party primaries, membership disputes, weak financial disclosure practices, and exclusionary participation patterns have contributed to avoidable litigation and electoral uncertainty.
“Addressing these gaps early remains central to the Commission’s preparations for 2027.
“To support evidence-based reforms, INEC is mainstreaming findings from the Political Party Performance Index (PPPI), a diagnostic assessment tool that identifies systemic weaknesses in party governance and compliance practices across the country.
“The objective is to move regulatory oversight from reactive enforcement to proactive supervision anchored on measurable standards”.
He quoted the INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan as saying that credible elections begin long before polling day, adding that “for elections to inspire public confidence, the institutions that produce candidates must themselves operate transparently and within the law”.
He explained that the workshop will develop strengthened compliance mechanisms, clearer reporting obligations, and operational guidance for monitoring political party activities nationwide. Particular attention is being given to financial accountability, dispute prevention, accurate membership documentation, and measurable benchmarks for the participation of women, youth, and Persons with Disabilities within party structures.
He disclosed that technical facilitation support for aspects of the process is being provided by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) alongside Nigerian legal and electoral experts, contributing comparative technical insights in support of the Commission’s institutional reform objectives.
He also quoted the Country Director of Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) Nigeria, Adebowale Olorunmola, as saying that the Commission’s initiative represents a significant step towards strengthening political party regulation ahead of the 2027 General Election cycle.
"This isn't just a review of a document; it is a reconstruction of the democratic foundation. We are moving toward an era where political parties are held to the same high standards of integrity as the electoral commission itself," he said.
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Olorunmola emphasised that anchoring regulatory reforms on empirical evidence, including insights from the Political Party Performance Index (PPPI), would support INEC to deepen compliance, reduce avoidable electoral disputes, and promote greater transparency, inclusivity, and internal democracy within political parties.
Oketola said aligning party regulations early with the Electoral Act 2026 would significantly reduce pre-election litigation and administrative disputes that often divert attention from election preparation and delivery.
He stressed that the conclusion of the exercise, a consolidated draft of the Revised Regulations and Guidelines (2026 Edition) will undergo internal institutional validation before engagement with the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) and all registered political parties as part of implementation consultations.
The Commission reaffirmed its commitment to continuous electoral reform and to ensuring that political parties remain strong democratic institutions capable of producing credible leadership choices for Nigerians.
The statement was silent on the date of the technical workshop.
