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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has raised concerns that persistent internal disputes within political parties and a rise in court cases are disrupting its preparations for the elections.
Speaking on Wednesday at a technical workshop in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, the commission’s chairman, Joash Amupitan, said the increasing number of intra-party conflicts and lawsuits is placing unnecessary pressure on the electoral body and threatening democratic stability.
The workshop, organised in collaboration with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, focused on reviewing INEC’s regulations and guidelines for political parties to reflect changes introduced in the Electoral Act 2026.
The legislation was passed by the National Assembly of Nigeria on February 18 and signed into law by President Bola Tinubu the following day.
Amupitan said political parties were increasingly consumed by leadership struggles and internal divisions, rather than functioning as platforms for national development.
He noted that INEC had been drawn into numerous lawsuits arising from such disputes, many of which could have been avoided if parties simply adhered to their own constitutions.
According to him, although the commission remains an independent and neutral body, it cannot ignore developments that undermine the electoral process.
“Our collective commitment is being challenged by leadership squabbles and judicialised politics.
“In the last cycle alone, INEC was joined in scores of suits that could have been avoided by simple adherence to party constitutions.
“As an independent body, we remain neutral, but we are no longer passive observers,” he said.
He also expressed concern about the state of internal democracy within political parties, particularly the conduct of party primaries. Amupitan said the quality of primaries directly affects the credibility of INEC-conducted elections.
With party primaries expected to take place between April 23 and May 30, 2026, he stressed the need to ensure a level playing field for all aspirants.
The INEC chairman further warned that ongoing leadership battles risk turning political parties into arenas of constant conflict rather than institutions designed to advance governance and national progress.
“Political parties in Nigeria face a crisis of internal democracy. Of grave concern is the quality of party primaries.
“As we move towards the primary window of April 23 to May 30, 2026, we must enforce a level playing field.
“The quality of internal party democracy has a direct bearing on the secondary election conducted by INEC.”
He added that every day spent addressing party disputes in court reduces the time available for election planning and other critical electoral responsibilities.
“These frequent leadership tussles do more than dilute party ideologies; they spill over into our courtrooms, resulting in a deluge of unnecessary litigations where INEC is routinely joined as a party.
“Each day spent defending these intra-party disputes is a day diverted from our primary mandate of election planning,” he added.
Amupitan expressed optimism that the workshop would help stakeholders examine key provisions of the new electoral law and identify areas where existing regulations need to be updated to ensure alignment.
In his remarks, the country director of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, Adebowale Olorunmola, said the review was necessary to adapt the current guidelines to the realities created by the 2026 Electoral Act.
Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Akwa Ibom State, Obo Efanga, described the workshop as both timely and strategic. He explained that reviewing the 2022 regulations governing political parties was essential to reflect the provisions of the new Electoral Act.
Efanga said the guidelines serve as the framework regulating party registration, administration, statutory compliance, and monitoring of political party activities, adding that updating them is critical to strengthening Nigeria’s electoral system.
