As preparations intensify for the 2027 general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has widened Nigeria’s political space with the approval of two additional parties, the Democratic Leadership Alliance, DLA, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC.
However, the Commission expressed concern over the continued registration and retention of political parties plagued by recurring leadership conflicts, warning that persistent internal crises pose a danger to constitutional order.
Addressing stakeholders on Thursday during INEC’s first regular consultative meeting with political parties, the Commission’s Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, formally announced the recognition of the two parties, increasing the total number of registered political parties in the country to 21.
INEC explained that the DLA successfully scaled a stringent verification process, while the NDC gained registration following compliance with a directive from the Federal High Court.
Despite welcoming the new parties, Prof Amupitan voiced strong displeasure over what he described as the rising wave of internal wrangling within several political platforms.
He said, “Our collective commitment to the integrity of the electoral process is being challenged by the unfortunate and increasingly frequent leadership crises within political parties.”
According to him, such disputes often end up in court, placing unnecessary pressure on the judiciary and drawing INEC away from its statutory responsibilities.
“These disputes often spill into needless litigations that tax the judicial system and divert the Commission from its core mandate,” he added.
The INEC boss noted that the Commission is frequently dragged into party feuds, a development he said hampers effective voter mobilisation.
“Each litigation consumes time and resources and distracts from the important work of mobilising voters.
“Sometimes, you wonder whether one should even continue to register or retain some political parties, given the recurring leadership struggles and court orders declaring different individuals as party leaders,” he added.
Amupitan also raised alarm over declining voter participation nationwide, describing the trend as troubling.
He revealed that voter turnout in presidential elections has steadily dropped from 53.7% in 2011 to 43.6% in 2015, fell further to 34.7% in 2019, and hit an all-time low of 26.7% in the 2023 General Election.
According to him, “Technology alone cannot solve voter apathy. Citizens’ trust is often eroded by a perceived lack of democratic dividends or the fear that their voices do not matter. We must change this narrative together,” he declared.
The Commission also reaffirmed its preparedness for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council Elections scheduled for February 21, 2026, disclosing that 1,680,315 registered voters are expected to vote across 2,822 polling units.
Looking ahead, INEC confirmed ongoing preparations for the Ekiti State Governorship Election slated for June 20, 2026, and the Osun State Governorship Election fixed for August 8, 2026.
To safeguard the credibility of upcoming polls and the 2027 General Election, INEC announced plans to conduct a nationwide Voter Revalidation Exercise aimed at cleaning up the voters’ register of 93.4 million entries by removing duplicates and deceased persons.
In his response, Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) National Chairman, Dr Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, called on INEC to maintain neutrality and strictly adhere to party constitutions to prevent allegations of bias.
Dantalle also renewed calls for sweeping electoral reforms, including the scrapping of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs).
“IPAC therefore reiterates its position that SIECs be scrapped and INEC empowered to conduct all elections nationwide, given its institutional expertise and capacity,” Dantalle said.
He further advocated that the “real-time transmission of election results to the IReV portal to be mandatory” and proposed that all elections be conducted on the same day to “reduce costs, prevent bandwagon effects, and address voter fatigue.”
