By Nkechi Eze
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced a comprehensive review of its Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties as part of early preparations for the 2027 General Election, moving to align its framework with the newly enacted Electoral Act 2026.
The exercise, described as a critical phase in the Commission’s reform agenda, is aimed at strengthening political party oversight, deepening compliance, reducing pre-election disputes, and enhancing public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process.
In an official signed statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the Chairman of INEC, Adedayo Oketola, the review is being conducted under the leadership of the Commission’s Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN.
According to the statement, the Technical Workshop on the Revision of the INEC Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties brings together National Commissioners, Directors across operational departments, legal experts, election administrators, and other institutional stakeholders for a clause-by-clause assessment of the existing 2022 framework.
The recently assented Electoral Act 2026 introduces far-reaching legal and operational changes affecting party administration, candidate nomination processes, compliance obligations, dispute resolution mechanisms, and the Commission’s regulatory powers. INEC is therefore reviewing its subsidiary regulations to ensure full legal alignment and operational clarity well ahead of the next electoral cycle.
Beyond statutory compliance, the Commission is also incorporating lessons from previous elections to strengthen preventive regulation. Persistent issues such as opaque party primaries, membership disputes, weak financial disclosure practices, and exclusionary participation patterns have historically triggered avoidable litigation and electoral uncertainty.
INEC said addressing these concerns early remains central to its 2027 preparations.
To support evidence-based reforms, the Commission is mainstreaming findings from the Political Party Performance Index (PPPI), a diagnostic tool designed to identify systemic weaknesses in party governance and compliance practices nationwide. The goal, INEC noted, is to shift oversight from reactive enforcement to proactive supervision anchored on measurable standards.
Speaking on the reform process, the Chairman stressed that credible elections are built long before voting begins.
“For elections to inspire public confidence, the institutions that produce candidates must themselves operate transparently and within the law,” he stated.
The workshop is also expected to develop strengthened compliance mechanisms, clearer reporting obligations, and operational guidance for monitoring party activities nationwide. Particular focus areas include financial accountability, dispute prevention, accurate membership documentation, and measurable benchmarks for women, youth, and Persons with Disabilities participation within party structures.
Technical support for aspects of the review is being provided by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), alongside Nigerian legal and electoral experts, offering comparative insights to bolster the Commission’s institutional reform objectives.
Commenting on the engagement, WFD Nigeria Country Director Adebowale Olorunmola described the initiative as a major step toward strengthening party regulation ahead of the 2027 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.
Olorunmola added that grounding regulatory reforms in empirical evidence, including insights from the PPPI, would help reduce avoidable disputes, deepen compliance, and promote greater transparency and inclusivity within party systems.
INEC noted that aligning party regulations early with the Electoral Act 2026 would significantly curb pre-election litigation and administrative conflicts that often distract from election preparation and delivery.
At the conclusion of the exercise, a consolidated draft of the Revised Regulations and Guidelines (2026 Edition) will undergo internal institutional validation before consultations with the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) and all registered political parties.
The Commission reaffirmed its commitment to continuous electoral reform and to ensuring that political parties function as strong democratic institutions capable of producing credible leadership choices for Nigerians in 2027 and beyond.
