The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has rejected aspects of the newly enacted Electoral Act 2026 and warned that political parties may boycott the 2027 general elections if the law is not amended.
IPAC issued the warning after an emergency meeting of party leaders and representatives held at its national secretariat in Abuja on Thursday.
The council’s National Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle, said although the Act was intended to improve the previous law, several provisions could undermine Nigeria’s multiparty democracy and weaken confidence in the electoral process.
Dantalle criticised Section 84(2) of the law, which removes the option of indirect primaries for political parties when selecting candidates.
According to him, the provision interferes with the constitutional rights of political parties to manage their internal affairs and determine their own nomination processes.
The council also faulted the removal of mandatory electronic transmission of election results and the requirement that party members must upload their National Identification Number during registration.
IPAC warned that the NIN requirement could disenfranchise many Nigerians who do not possess the identification.
IPAC further called for amendments to several sections of the law and urged the National Assembly to urgently address what it described as anomalies in the legislation.
The council warned that if the concerns are ignored, political parties under its umbrella may boycott the 2027 elections and refuse to recognise the outcome of the polls.
The Electoral Act 2026 was recently signed into law by Bola Ahmed Tinubu after its passage by the National Assembly of Nigeria as part of efforts to reform the country’s electoral system ahead of the 2027 general elections.
