INEC Issues 2027 Election Guidelines for Parties and Primaries
With preparations for the 2027 general elections underway, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has issued an extensive framework of regulations governing the operations of political...
With preparations for the 2027 general elections underway, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has issued an extensive framework of regulations governing the operations of political parties, primary processes, and general elections, thereby establishing clear guidelines for Nigeria’s forthcoming electoral cycle.
The commission’s 2026 Regulations and Guidelines set stricter rules for party registration, candidate nomination, internal primaries, and campaign conduct, focusing on transparency, accountability, and compliance among stakeholders.
The guidelines, based on the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Electoral Act 2026, provide a framework from the electoral authority detailing the roles and responsibilities of all participants in the election process.
They also strengthen regulations surrounding party registration, requiring political associations to comply with constitutional guidelines, meet financial and nationwide presence standards, and adopt proper internal governance. These groups must complete a thorough verification process before receiving approval.
The guidelines also address INEC’s commitment to conducting credible polls, stating that all stakeholders, including political parties, candidates, and electoral officials, must comply with established electoral laws and guidelines on violations such as vote-buying, manipulation of results, and non-compliance with electoral procedures.
The guidelines require all political parties to follow set timelines and processes for nominating candidates through democratic primaries, whether direct, indirect, or consensus. Parties must notify the commission in advance so INEC officials can monitor the primaries; otherwise, their candidates may be rejected for the general election.
INEC Chairman Professor Joash Amupitan explained that the electoral commission is responsible for running elections for National and State Executive positions, as well as offices in the National, State, and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Legislative branches. Additionally, INEC registers political parties, oversees their organisation and operations—including their finances, conventions, congresses, and primaries—and ensures their funds and accounts are examined and audited annually.
He stated that INEC is responsible for overseeing political campaigns, setting regulations for political parties throughout the election cycle, and delegating these tasks to States and the Federal Capital Territory via Resident Electoral Commissioners.
As a result, the chairman of the electoral body said that as the country is heading for another political season, the document will “strengthen Nigeria’s democracy by ensuring that political parties operate within the law and that elections are conducted in a free, fair, and transparent manner.”
He stressed that “to ensure that the electioneering processes and procedures are simple, transparent, and clearly understood by all stakeholders and to contribute to the realisation of the Commission’s vision of becoming one of the best election management bodies in the world. It reflects the Commission’s continued commitment to a well-regulated and effectively managed electoral process.”
Stricter Party Registration Requirements
One of the major adjustments in the new regulation is the introduction of stricter rules and conditions for political associations that are seeking registration as parties. According to the guidelines, applicants must not submit names, acronyms and logos that are similar or the same as the names or acronyms of an existing party or any known registered political party to avoid confusion or doubt in the minds of ordinary voters during the election.
INEC also warned that any intending political parties must not have an outlook of any ethnic, religious, professional or other sectional connotation or have the appearance that their activities are confined to only a certain part of the country. The commission also mandated the associations to submit a copy of their constitution and manifesto, which must bear the associations’ names, symbols and flags, mottos, aims and objectives, the distinctive description and interpretation of their symbols and flags
Besides the outlook and the constitutional provisions of the associations intending to become political parties, INEC also requires that their constitutions show that membership is open to every citizen of Nigeria and provisions for periodic elections, on a democratic basis, of the principal officers and members of the National Executive Committee or other governing bodies.
The electoral body also mandates them to have administrative structures; this includes a provision that the membership of the National Executive Committee or other governing bodies of the Political Association reflects the Federal Character Principle of the Constitution and a provision showing that the Constitution and Manifesto of the Association conform to the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, the Electoral Acts and the INEC guidelines with their manifestoes spelling out ideologies and programmes of the party in conformity with Chapter II of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and disciplinary procedures to show the internal structures of the parties, particularly by stating the method of suspension, expulsion, replacement, resignation and appointing an ordinary member, party official, or political office holder, including persons elected to public office on the platform of the Association.
INEC also requires that political associations intending to register as political parties must submit their application stating their proposed name, symbol, acronym and logo through a secure access code issued at least 12 months before a general election and pay a ₦50 million non-refundable fee as a processing fee only and shall not confer any right or legitimate expectation of registration.
The commission also noted that apart from the electronic verification and proper documentation, the party must also have a Certificate of Occupancy, or Title deed, or a tenancy agreement in respect of an appropriate building to be used as its Headquarters in the Federal Capital Territory, as its review would also include a physical inspection of the party’s headquarters.
“The Political Association shall upload and submit all prescribed registration requirements and supporting documents within twenty-one (21) days from the date of issuance of the Secure Access Code. The required documents shall include the following: a proposed name, symbol, acronym, flag and Logo of the proposed political party; the Constitution of the proposed Political Party; the proposed manifesto of the Political Party; a Certificate of Occupancy, or Title deed, or tenancy agreement in respect of an appropriate building to be used as its Headquarters in the Federal Capital Territory”
While the electoral body expects all political associations to complete their submissions within 21 days of receiving access to INEC’s portal or risk automatic disqualification, the electoral body is also expected to conclude reviews within 90 days, ensuring that only compliant organisations are approved.
On Political Party Mergers
On the merger of the political parties, the electoral commission stressed that only registered parties can merge, and they must notify INEC at least nine months before an election, before the merger can be successfully done based on the approval of the Commission and compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act and the new guidelines. The procedure also requires a non-refundable administrative fee of N50,000,000.00 (Fifty Million Naira), which only constitutes a processing fee but does not confer any right or legitimate expectation of Merger.
The guideline also stressed that the political parties that are intending to merge must give notice that shall clearly indicate the “names of the political parties proposing the merger, the proposed date of the merger, and the intention to submit a formal request for approval and each party must secure approval through its national convention and submit a unified constitution and manifesto. Once approved, the merging parties are dissolved, and a new political entity is created with a single certificate, inheriting all assets and liabilities.”
Giving the description of eligibility for the merger, the INEC guidelines state that it is only the political parties that are already registered with the electoral body that shall be eligible to participate in a merger process.
INEC states that when two or more parties wish to merge, they must submit a formal request for approval directed to the Chairman of the Commission. The request shall be jointly signed by the following principal officers of each political party proposing the merger: National Chairman, National Secretary, National Treasurer. The request shall clearly state the intention of the political parties to merge into a single political party.”
The guideline further explains that “the Commission shall, upon receipt of the application and other accompanying documents, issue the Political Party an electronic letter of acknowledgement stating that all the necessary documents have been received by the Commission. The Commission shall, upon receipt of the application and other accompanying documents, verify the information supplied by the Political Party and if satisfied that the Political Party has not satisfied the conditions under the Act, clearly state in writing within 60 days from the receipt of the Application the reasons for the failure, and the application shall be terminated.”
However, the guidelines further warned that in the case where the commission finds the application unsatisfactory either in the verification of the information supplied or some other inadequacies, it is within its prerogative to terminate the application after notifying the parties within seven days. On the other hand, if the verification, which includes vetting of the application and accompanying documents, including physical visits to the Association’s proposed headquarters to ascertain compliance with all the legal and administrative requirements, is found accurate, the commission would be allowed to move on to approve the request.
“Where the verification is successful, the Political Party’s application for Merger shall be processed in line with these Regulations and Guidelines. The verification shall involve an evaluation and vetting of the application and accompanying documents, including physical visits to the Party’s proposed headquarters to ascertain compliance with all the legal and administrative requirements for further processing of the application. Where the Political Party satisfies the requirements for Merger as a Political Party under the Constitution, the Act and these Regulations and Guidelines, the Commission shall approve the application for Merger.”
The guidelines also state that the electoral commission is responsible for issuing the certificates of registration for the political parties participating in the merger, which it can either withdraw or cancel. It added that upon the successful merger, INEC would be deemed fit to recognise the merged parties as a single, duly registered political party for elections.
Regarding primaries and candidate nominations for elections, the electoral commission maintained that all political parties must adopt democratic methods for selecting candidates, including direct, indirect, or consensus primaries.
The guidelines emphasise internal democracy, transparency, and accurate documentation of delegate lists and voting procedures. They also mandate that the political parties notify INEC in advance so that the Commission can keep an eye on the process, noting that non-compliance, such as failing to follow due process or manipulating primaries, may result in the disqualification of candidates.
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