The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has begun a sweeping review of its political party regulations to align them with the newly signed Electoral Act 2026.
In what it describes as a decisive move to reduce pre-election disputes and strengthen transparency within party structures.
Leading the reform process is INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, who says credible elections begin long before voters head to the polls.
The exercise, according to Amupitan follows the assent to the Electoral Act 2026, which introduces significant changes to party administration, candidate nominations, compliance obligations and dispute resolution processes.
The Chairman noted that the technical workshop involving National Commissioners, legal experts, election administrators and institutional stakeholders is conducting a clause-by-clause review of the existing 2022 framework.
INEC says the goal goes beyond legal alignment. The Commission is also drawing lessons from past elections, where opaque party primaries, membership disputes, weak financial disclosures and exclusionary practices triggered avoidable litigation and uncertainty.
To strengthen preventive regulation, INEC is incorporating findings from its Political Party Performance Index, a diagnostic tool assessing governance and compliance standards across parties nationwide.
The Commission says this will shift oversight from reactive enforcement to proactive supervision anchored on measurable benchmarks including stronger financial accountability and improved participation of women, youth and persons with disabilities.
Technical support for aspects of the review is being provided by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy.
Its Nigeria Country Director, Adebowale Olorunmola, described the initiative as more than a routine policy update.
INEC says early alignment with the Electoral Act 2026 will significantly reduce pre-election litigation and administrative disputes that often distract from core election preparation.
At the end of the exercise, a revised 2026 edition of the Regulations and Guidelines will undergo internal validation before consultations with the Inter-Party Advisory Council and all registered political parties.
The Commission maintains that strengthening party governance is central to delivering credible leadership choices to Nigerians in 2027.
The review comes just months after the enactment of the Electoral Act 2026, signaling INEC’s intention to front-load reforms well ahead of the next electoral cycle.
