As Analysts Say Objection Comes Too Late
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Political parties in Nigeria, operating under the umbrella of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, have collectively rejected key provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, more than a month after President Bola Tinubu signed it into law, describing the legislation as a setback to Nigeria’s democratic progress and demanding urgent amendments from the National Assembly.
The rejection came during an engagement between IPAC members and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, where the parties specifically opposed the mandatory direct primaries clause, the requirement for parties to submit membership registers with National Identification Numbers within a limited timeframe, and the weakening of penalties for vote buying.
However, political analysts were divided over the significance of the rejection, with some describing it as coming too late to make any meaningful difference, while others warned that the controversy could cast serious doubts over the credibility of the 2027 elections.
IPAC Chairman Yusuf Dantalle, speaking on behalf of all registered political parties, outlined three principal objections to the Electoral Act 2026.
First, the parties reject the clause mandating them to conduct direct primaries for the selection of candidates. Dantalle insisted that the choice of candidate selection methods — whether direct, indirect, or consensus — should remain the internal affair of political parties.
“Nigerians participated actively in the public hearings on the Constitution and Electoral Act amendments, with the expectation that their contributions would culminate in a progressive, inclusive, and people-oriented Electoral Act. Unfortunately, the Electoral Act 2026 falls far short of these expectations,” Dantalle stated.
Second, IPAC opposed the requirement for political parties to submit their membership registers, including members’ National Identification Numbers, within a limited timeframe. Dantalle described the provision as impractical and exclusionary, warning that it risks disenfranchising many Nigerians who lack access to NIN registration facilities, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
Third, the parties raised concerns over what they described as weakened penalties for vote buying in the new law, reiterating their call for the establishment of an Electoral Offences Commission to prosecute electoral offenders.
Dantalle was blunt in his assessment of the overall legislation.
“Rather than advancing Nigeria’s democratic journey, it represents a significant regression that must be urgently addressed in the national interest,” the IPAC chairman declared.
He warned that lapses experienced during the 2023 presidential election must not be allowed to recur and noted that the Act had already formed the basis for INEC’s compressed timetable for the 2027 general elections, placing pressure on political parties — particularly those not in government.
On electoral transparency, IPAC demanded the mandatory electronic transmission of results, insisting that results should be uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing portal immediately after declaration at polling units — a provision that parties argued was inadequately addressed in the new law.
Dantalle disclosed that IPAC had already appealed to the National Assembly to repeal the Electoral Act 2026 and urged development partners to support democratic reforms.
He said the council would convene a general assembly to determine further action following the engagement with INEC.
INEC Chairman Professor Joash Amupitan said the commission had undertaken a comprehensive review of its 2022 Regulations and Guidelines to align them with the Electoral Act 2026, resulting in draft Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2026.
Amupitan stressed that credible elections begin long before polling day and that transparency in candidate selection is critical to electoral integrity.
He said the new regulations cover registration and merger of political parties, internal party operations, conduct of primaries, political campaigns, party financing, and deregistration procedures. The reforms, he said, are aimed at sanitising party primaries, curbing imposition of candidates, and reducing election-related litigation.
The INEC chairman disclosed that the commission was working with a compressed timetable — presidential and National Assembly elections on January 16, 2027, and governorship and state assembly elections on February 6, 2027.
He urged political parties to view the new regulations as safeguards rather than restrictions.
Professor Kamilu Sani Fagge of the Department of Political Science at Bayero University Kano said the rejection was coming too late to have any practical effect.
“They should have stood firmly against it before it was signed. Since it has been signed, there is nothing that can happen. They should try and see if there could be a review by the Senate or the House of Representatives, but it is too late now,” Fagge stated.
He warned that the controversy could create legitimacy problems for the 2027 elections, saying: “I think that will cast a lot of doubts on the 2027 elections. The credibility of the elections will be challenged, especially given the fact that some of the major actors are now questioning it.”
Fagge observed that the electoral act, as it stands, “has tied the hands of opposition parties and given undue advantage to the ruling party.”
Political analyst Kabiru Sa’id Sufi described the direct primaries controversy as a “double-edged sword,” noting that both direct and indirect systems have inherent strengths and weaknesses.
He explained that the shift to direct primaries was a response to abuses under the indirect system, where “winning elections was just a question of the highest bidder who will grease the palms of delegates and take the ticket irrespective of the wishes of the people.”
On the NIN requirement, Sufi said the concern was less about the NIN itself and more about the process and timeline. He warned that the deadline could exclude many Nigerians, particularly in rural areas or areas with poor network coverage.
Sufi also raised concerns about the impact on political realignments. “It will be difficult to have alignments and realignments once the deadline has passed. People may be forced to remain in parties they are dissatisfied with,” he noted.
“I don’t know why the parties did not cry foul from the beginning. It seems they have only become aware of the dangers, albeit belatedly,” Sufi stated.
Political analyst Jide Ojo dismissed IPAC’s calls as ill-timed and lacking legal footing, arguing that parties should approach the courts if they believe provisions are defective rather than demanding legislative amendments.
“With party primaries starting in less than one month, the timing is too short to amend the Electoral Act. There is no indication that the National Assembly is even considering such changes,” Ojo stated.
He challenged IPAC’s argument that primaries are purely an internal party affair. “The mode of primaries has always been defined by law. Before 2022, we had direct and indirect primaries prescribed by law, and later consensus was added. Why is it now that they are raising the issue of internal party affairs?” Ojo queried.
On the NIN requirement, Ojo disagreed that it would disenfranchise party members, noting that over 100 registration centres exist nationwide and that the process takes no more than 30 minutes to one hour.
“Getting a NIN has been made very easy. Political parties should mobilise their members to comply with the requirement instead of opposing it,” Ojo stated.
Despite the sharp disagreements, both INEC and political parties agreed on the need for continued engagement. Dantalle acknowledged that some issues were better understood after the interaction with INEC.
“In the interactive session, there are things that we discussed that are not as bad as it was, and we now have some level of understanding with INEC, and we are going to begin to work on such,” Dantalle stated after the meeting.
The IPAC general assembly, when convened, will determine the council’s definitive position and next course of action.
The Electoral Act 2026 was signed by President Tinubu amid criticism from opposition parties and civil society organisations. Former INEC Commissioner Festus Okoye had earlier criticised the law for removing certificate forgery as a ground to challenge election results, compressing electoral timelines, and introducing provisions that some argue favour the ruling party.
With party primaries scheduled between April 23 and May 30, 2026, and the deadline for submission of membership registers between April 1 and 21, the window for any legislative changes is rapidly closing — making the parties’ rejection, as analysts have noted, a protest that may be more symbolic than consequential.
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