By Franklin Adole
As preparations gather momentum for the 2027 general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expanded Nigeria’s political landscape with the registration of two new political parties — the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
The Commission, however, cautioned against the growing trend of internal leadership disputes within political parties, warning that persistent crises threaten constitutional order and undermine the integrity of the electoral process.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, disclosed this yesterday while addressing stakeholders at the Commission’s first regular consultative meeting with political parties, where he formally announced the recognition of the two new parties, bringing the total number of registered political parties in the country to 21.
Amupitan explained that the DLA successfully completed INEC’s rigorous verification process, while the NDC was registered in compliance with an order of the Federal High Court.
While welcoming the expansion of the political space, the INEC chairman expressed concern over what he described as the increasing frequency of leadership crises within political parties.
“Our collective commitment to the integrity of the electoral process is being challenged by the unfortunate and increasingly frequent leadership crises within political parties,” he said.
He noted that such disputes often degenerate into litigation, placing avoidable pressure on the judiciary and distracting the Commission from its statutory duties.
“These disputes often spill into needless litigations that tax the judicial system and divert the Commission from its core mandate,” Amupitan added.
According to him, INEC is frequently drawn into party feuds, a situation he said hampers effective voter mobilisation and the delivery of credible elections.
“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 conflicting court orders,” he said.
The INEC chairman also raised concern over declining voter turnout across the country, describing the trend as worrisome.
He disclosed that participation in presidential elections dropped from 53.7 per cent in 2011 to 43.6 per cent in 2015, declined further to 34.7 per cent in 2019, and fell to an all-time low of 26.7 per cent in the 2023 general election.
“Technology alone cannot solve voter apathy. Citizens’ trust is often eroded by a perceived lack of democratic dividends or the fear that their votes do not count. We must change this narrative together,” he said.
Amupitan reaffirmed INEC’s readiness for the Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections scheduled for February 21, 2026, noting that 1,680,315 registered voters are expected to cast their ballots across 2,822 polling units.
He also confirmed that preparations were ongoing for the Ekiti State governorship election fixed for June 20, 2026, and the Osun State governorship election slated for August 8, 2026.
To strengthen the credibility of future polls, including the 2027 general election, INEC announced plans to embark on a nationwide voter revalidation exercise to clean up the voters’ register of 93.4 million entries by eliminating duplicates and names of deceased persons.
In his remarks, Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) National Chairman, Dr Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, urged INEC to maintain strict neutrality and adhere to party constitutions to avoid allegations of bias.
Dantalle also renewed calls for comprehensive electoral reforms, including the scrapping of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs).
“IPAC reiterates its position that SIECs should be scrapped and INEC empowered to conduct all elections nationwide, given its institutional expertise and capacity,” he said.
He further advocated mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal and proposed that all elections be held on the same day to reduce costs, prevent bandwagon effects and address voter fatigue.