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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced review of the 2022 edition of political parties’ guidelines to ensure integrity and transparency in electoral process.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, stated this in his keynote address at the technical workshop on revision of INEC regulations and guidelines for political parties in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom, on Wednesday.
Amupitan stressed the need for harmonising guidelines for political parties with the recent enactment of the Electoral Act, 2026.
He urged participants to ensure that the review met the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians to enhance active democratic process in the country.
The INEC chairman said the commission was moving beyond the 2022 framework to address the sanitisation of operation of political parties.
He said: “The integrity and transparency of our electoral processes are paramount to fostering public trust and ensuring that every Nigerian, regardless of political affiliation, has a voice in shaping our nation’s future.
“The recent enactment of the Electoral Act 2026, which was assented to in February, has fundamentally recalibrated our statutory windows.
“The reduction in timelines creates a compressed operational environment that demands we work at unprecedented speed and with surgical precision.
“This workshop is not merely an administrative exercise; it is a legislative and operational realignment.
“We are here to harmonise our Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties with the 2026 Act.”
According to him, political parties in Nigeria face the crisis of internal democracy, thus necessitating the need for them to conduct acceptable primaries to produce credible and acceptable candidates for elections.
Amupitan noted that the quality of internal party democracy has a direct bearing on the secondary election conducted by INEC.
“If unpopular candidates are forced upon the electorate through non-transparent processes, we face the twin monsters of voter apathy and an explosion of pre-election litigation.
“Our collective commitment is being challenged by leadership squabbles and involving the judiciary in politics.
“We must use this workshop to embed regulatory mechanisms that encourage constructive dialogue and internal dispute resolution, reminding party leaders that cohesive leadership is not an option; it is a democratic imperative,” he added.
The INEC chairman said the commission would continue to play the role of an unbiased umpire, providing a level-playing field for all political parties in the country.
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