Party crises distracting us, fueling apathy – INEC

2026-03-05 - 03:56

–Conduct credible polls to restore trust, parties, others tell INEC By Henry Umoru, Omeiza Ajayi & John Alechenu ABUJA — The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday, lamented that recurring leadership tussles and protracted intra-party disputes are diverting its attention from core election planning and contributing to voter apathy ahead of the 2027 general elections. INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, raised the concern at the opening of a three-day Technical Review Workshop in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, where the Commission began a comprehensive review of its Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties in line with the Electoral Act 2026. According to an INEC bulletin obtained by Vanguard in Abuja, the workshop, supported by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, is aimed at strengthening the electoral framework and ensuring compliance with the new law as preparations intensify for 2027. Amupitan warned, “The quality of internal party democracy has a direct bearing on the election conducted by INEC. Each day spent defending avoidable intra-party disputes is a day diverted from our primary mandate of election planning. “While the Commission remains neutral, it will enforce compliance firmly and consistently.” New guidelines to tighten transparency, inclusion The INEC chairman said the revised regulations would introduce stricter benchmarks for financial transparency, membership documentation and the inclusion of women, youths and Persons with Disabilities. “We are not just editing a document. We are aligning our Regulations and Guidelines with the 2026 Act to ensure that our electoral architecture is not only robust in theory but strong in practice. “The sovereign will of the Nigerian people must remain sacrosanct from the point of candidate nomination to the final declaration of results.” He disclosed that under the revised timetable, presidential and National Assembly elections will hold on January 16, 2027, while governorship and state assembly elections are slated for February 6, 2027. Party primaries are expected between April 23 and May 30, 2026. National Commissioner and Chairman of the Election and Party Monitoring Committee, Dr. Baba Bila, described the review as a strategic necessity, noting that existing guidelines require substantive amen-dments to give effect to the new Electoral Act. Country Director of WFD Nigeria, Mr. Adebowale Olorunmola, urged political parties to evolve into inclusive and internally democratic institutions to safeguard the integrity of the 2027 polls. Parties, senators fault INEC, demand credible polls INEC’s position, however, drew sharp reactions from political leaders and parties, who accused the Commission of shifting blame instead of rebuilding public trust in the electoral process. Internal disputes secondary to trust crisis — NNPP The National Working Committee of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, said while internal party crises pose administrative challenges, they are secondary to what it described as a deeper crisis of public confidence in the electoral system. NNPP National Publicity Secretary, Bamofin Ladipo Johnson, told Vanguard that although INEC is often joined in pre-election suits and may feel the burden of litigation, the Commission must confront the trust deficit that, according to him, fuels voter apathy. “It is understandable that INEC complains about the disturbances caused by internal party disputes,” Johnson said. “Because the Commission is often joined as a necessary party in these suits, it inevitably drains their time and resources.” He, however, added: “The greatest cause of voter apathy in Nigeria is not internal party friction; it is the widespread perception that INEC is complicit in subverting the will of the people. “A large percentage of the voting public remains convinced that the system is rigged and that their ballots do not count. This crisis of confidence is the primary driver of voter apathy. Until INEC demonstrates absolute transparency and proves it is an unbiased arbiter, no amount of internal party stability will bring Nigerians back to the polling units.” Conduct credible polls to revive interest — Umeh Senator Victor Umeh, representing Anambra Central, said the commission could only rekindle citizens’ interest in elections by conducting credible and transparent polls. “The Commission can only resurrect citizens’ interest in elections if it conducts credible elections,” he said. “The citizens have lost interest in elections due to lack of transparency. The Commission has to do a lot to convince the electorate to come out during elections to cast their votes.” Party infightingcan distract INEC— Imasuen Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions, Senator Neda Imasuen(APC, Edo South), aligned partly with INEC, saying persistent party crises and conflicting court judgments often place the Commission in difficult positions. “I agree with the INEC chairman because party infighting and squabbles can be a distraction,” he said. “Most of these party internal crises end up in courts, giving conflicting judgments and leaving INEC in limbo. Constant party crises can also create voter apathy as political affiliations are shattered, leaving voters to stay away from voting altogether.” Stop blame game, fix trust deficit — Ameh Former National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, Chief Peter Ameh, urged INEC to stop shifting responsibility for voter apathy to political parties and instead address what he described as a lingering credibility crisis. Speaking in Abuja, Ameh said the trust deficit arising from the handling of the 2023 presidential election had not been remedied. “There is a trust deficit between the votes cast and counted at the various units and what INEC eventually declared,” he said. “The infamous ‘technical glitch’ which INEC claimed while collating and announcing the results of that election eroded over 70 per cent of public trust. “People are now led to believe that their votes don’t count; what counts are those who count and announce the results, which by law is INEC.” Ameh said many Nigerians perceive the Commission as beholden to the ruling party, adding that only transparent and credible elections would restore faith in the system. “Citizens must be convinced that their votes will count in order to believe in the system enough to come out and vote on Election Day,” he said. He added that while the new INEC chairman deserved support, the responsibility before him was enormous. “One can only wish the new INEC chairman well because he just took office and is learning on the job, but he must remember the task before him is one on which the lives of over 200 million Nigerians depend.” 2027 battlelines drawn With party primaries months away and new regulations underway, the exchange signals early battle lines ahead of 2027. While INEC insists that weak internal democracy and endless litigation are straining its resources and undermining public confidence, opposition figures argue that only transparent, credible and verifiable elections will reverse voter apathy. As the Commission recalibrates its guidelines under the Electoral Act 2026, Nigerians appear less concerned about party quarrels and more focused on a single question: will their votes truly count in 2027?