IPAC seeks amendment to 2026 Electoral Act, threatens boycott
The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has warned that its members may boycott the 2027 general election if the National Assembly fails to amend some sections of the 2026 Electoral Act.
The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has warned that its members may boycott the 2027 general election if the National Assembly fails to amend some sections of the 2026 Electoral Act.
IPAC said in a statement yesterday that some sections of the newly signed Act are not conducive to the development and growth of political parties and democracy in the country.
The statement issued at the end of its general assembly in Abuja was signed by the group’s National Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle and National Secretary. Maxwell Mgbudem.
Demanding the restoration of the indirect mode of primaries in the electoral law, it argued that its removal infringes on the constitutional right of political parties to determine their own affairs.
It also wants the “electronic transmission of election results after announcement at polling units,’’ to be restored in the Act.
The statement partly reads: “Following extensive deliberations and a thorough review of the recently passed Electoral Act 2026, which was intended to address certain anomalies observed in the Electoral Act 2022, the General Assembly of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) resolved as follows:
“While appreciating the considerable effort and energy invested in the enactment of the new Electoral Act 2026, the Council notes with concern that certain provisions in the Act have introduced new issues that are not conducive to the development of political parties, particularly in view of IPAC’s guiding principle of “Deepening Democracy in Nigeria.
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“Unfortunately, there are clear indications that some aspects of the new Electoral Act 2026 undermine this fundamental objective and are inconsistent with the spirit of multiparty democracy.
“It is an established principle, affirmed by several judicial pronouncements, including those of the highest courts in Nigeria, that political parties possess certain fundamental rights in the administration of their internal affairs.
“However, the new Electoral Act 2026 has curtailed this right through Section 84(2), which excludes indirect primaries. IPAC believes that the exclusion of indirect primaries constitutes a violation of the constitutional right of political parties to regulate their internal affairs, including determining the method of nominating their candidates for elections.
“This provision, if left unamended, will significantly undermine political party development and weaken multiparty democracy in Nigeria.
“IPAC has consistently played a pivotal role in strengthening Nigeria’s democracy. When the democratic process came under serious strain during the collation of the 2023 Presidential Election results, the Council stood firmly to resist attempts by certain actors to undermine the process and plunge the country into anarchy.
“In the present circumstances, the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) cannot fold its arms. The time to act is now.’’
It said the National Assembly must address its observations as ‘’irreducible minimum conditions necessary to guarantee that the 2027 General Election are free, fair, credible, and inclusive.’’
The group warned that ‘’should the National Assembly fail to address the anomalies through urgent amendments to the Act,’’ its members ‘’might be compelled to boycott the general election.’’
IPAC also wants the ‘’requirement that members of political parties must possess and upload their National Identification Number (NIN)’’ be expunged from the Act.
It said: ‘’This provision will disenfranchise a significant number of Nigerians who do not have access to NIN and constitutes a violation of their rights under Article 13 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
“Expungement of Section 77 (4, 5, 6 & 7).
These provisions should be removed as they infringe upon the constitutional right of citizens to freedom of association.
“The electronic transmission of election results after announcement at polling units must be restored. Its absence was a major flaw during the 2023 presidential election, and such a lapse must not be allowed to undermine future elections, including the 2027 general election.”
