In a proactive step toward the 2027 General Elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has unveiled a draft of its 2026 Regulations and Guidelines, placing a heavy emphasis on the regulation of political finance and election expenses.
During a consultative meeting with political party leaders in Abuja, INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan underscored the necessity of a comprehensive overhaul of the existing 2022 framework to align with the new legal realities established by the Electoral Act, 2026.
A central feature of the new guidelines is the Commission’s mandate to determine election expense limits for political parties. Prof. Amupitan specifically directed party leaders to scrutinize financial regulations pertaining to the conduct of party primaries and general election spending.
With the Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, the Chairman warned that a compressed statutory timeline demands surgical precision in planning.
He maintained that the new rules are designed to ensure that the electoral process is not hijacked by excessive spending, while also incorporating benchmarks to boost the participation of women, youth, and persons with disabilities.
While the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) commended the consultative approach, its National Chairman, Dr. Dantalle, raised concerns regarding the autonomy of political parties.
He argued for flexibility in the conduct of primaries, describing them as internal affairs that should be accommodated within the regulatory provisions.
IPAC also highlighted the practical difficulties in maintaining comprehensive membership registers and called for the urgent establishment of an Electoral Offences Commission to bolster the enforcement of these new financial regulations against malpractices like vote-buying.
