IPAC warns political parties may boycott the 2027 election if controversial provisions in the Electoral Act 2026 are not urgently amended

The Inter-Party Advisory Council on Thursday warned that political parties across Nigeria could boycott the 2027 general election if controversial provisions in the newly enacted Electoral Act 2026 are not urgently amended by the National Assembly.

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The warning was issued by IPAC National Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle, after an emergency meeting with leaders and representatives of registered political parties at the council’s national secretariat in Abuja.

Dantalle said the council had resolved to mobilise parties nationwide to resist the provisions if lawmakers failed to address them, raising the prospect of an IPAC 2027 election boycott.

According to him, although the Electoral Act 2026 was introduced to correct perceived shortcomings in the Electoral Act 2022, several provisions in the new legislation risk weakening multiparty democracy.

“While appreciating the considerable effort and energy invested in the enactment of the new Electoral Act 2026, the council notes with concern that certain provisions in the Act have introduced new issues that are not conducive to the development of political parties,” Dantalle said.

He added that some aspects of the law were inconsistent with the principles of multiparty democracy and the council’s guiding objective of deepening democratic governance in Nigeria.

A key concern raised by the council relates to Section 84(2) of the Act, which excludes the use of indirect primaries by political parties.

Dantalle described the provision as an infringement on the constitutional rights of political parties to regulate their internal affairs and determine their preferred method of candidate selection.

“It is an established principle, affirmed by several judicial pronouncements, that political parties possess certain fundamental rights in the administration of their internal affairs,” he said.

“However, the new Electoral Act 2026 has curtailed this right through Section 84(2), which excludes indirect primaries.”

The council also criticised the removal of the mandatory electronic transmission of election results, warning that the absence of such a provision could undermine public confidence in future elections.

According to Dantalle, the lack of real-time electronic transmission contributed to the controversy that trailed the 2023 presidential election.

“The mandatory electronic transmission of election results after announcement at polling units must be restored,” he said.

IPAC further objected to the requirement that members of political parties must upload their National Identification Number during membership registration, arguing that the measure could disenfranchise millions of Nigerians who do not yet possess the identification number.

The council said the provision could violate citizens’ rights under Article 13 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Other provisions identified for amendment include the removal of Sections 77(4–7), the introduction of stronger penalties for vote buying and the restoration of forged academic certificates as valid grounds for election petitions.

Dantalle warned that the council would escalate the issue to the international community if the concerns were ignored.

“In the present circumstances, IPAC cannot fold its arms. The time to act is now,” he said.

“Should the National Assembly fail to address these anomalies through urgent amendments to the Act, political parties under the umbrella of IPAC will be compelled to boycott the 2027 general elections.”

He added that any election conducted under such conditions could face widespread rejection from political parties.

The warning follows the signing of the Electoral Act 2026 (Amendment) into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on February 18 at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The legislation was earlier passed by the National Assembly after debates over reforms intended to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral framework.

However, the amendment has reignited intense debate over the electronic transmission of election results, a demand strongly supported by civil society organisations and opposition parties.

Last month, protesters gathered at the National Assembly complex in Abuja, calling for the restoration of real-time transmission of results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s central server.

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The demonstrators cited the failure of the commission’s Results Viewing Portal during the 2023 elections, an incident that triggered allegations of manipulation and renewed calls for more transparent election processes.