Amend Electoral Act 2026 or Risk 2027 Election Boycott, Warns IPAC
The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has called for the review of certain provisions in the recently enacted Electoral Act 2026, warning that political parties may refuse to participate in the 2027 general elections if the concerns are not addressed.
The council’s National Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle, made this known on Thursday while speaking with journalists after an emergency meeting held with leaders and representatives of political parties at IPAC’s National Secretariat in Abuja.
Dantalle said that although the new Electoral Act was introduced to correct shortcomings identified in the Electoral Act 2022, some of its provisions could negatively affect internal party processes and weaken public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system.
He noted that the council had resolved to mobilise political parties nationwide to oppose the provisions should the National Assembly fail to amend them.
While acknowledging the effort invested in drafting the new law, Dantalle said the council was worried that certain sections could hinder the growth of political parties and contradict IPAC’s objective of strengthening democracy in Nigeria.
According to him, some parts of the legislation are inconsistent with the principles of a multiparty democratic system.
One major concern raised by the council is Section 84(2) of the Act, which removes the option of indirect primaries for political parties during candidate selection.
Dantalle explained that judicial precedents have affirmed that political parties possess certain rights to manage their internal affairs. However, he argued that the provision restricting indirect primaries limits the ability of parties to decide how their candidates should emerge for elections.
The IPAC chairman also criticised the removal of the requirement for the mandatory electronic transmission of election results, stating that the absence of such a provision contributed to controversies surrounding the 2023 presidential election.
He maintained that electronic transmission of results immediately after announcements at polling units should be reinstated to improve transparency and credibility in future elections, including those scheduled for 2027.
Another provision the council is challenging is the requirement that members of political parties must upload their National Identification Number (NIN). Dantalle said this rule could disenfranchise many Nigerians who do not possess the identification number and may violate their rights under Article 13 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
IPAC also called for the removal of Sections 77(4–7) of the Act, the introduction of tougher sanctions against vote buying, and the restoration of forged academic certificates as valid grounds for election petitions.
Dantalle warned that if the National Assembly does not urgently address the concerns through amendments to the law, the council will escalate the matter beyond Nigeria.
He said IPAC intends to alert Nigerians as well as members of the international community, including the United Nations, European Union, ECOWAS, and diplomatic missions such as the United States and United Kingdom embassies, alongside Nigerians in the diaspora.
According to him, if the controversial provisions remain unchanged, political parties under the IPAC umbrella may boycott the 2027 general elections, adding that in such a scenario the outcome of the polls would be rejected as illegitimate by the parties.
