By Ogenyi Ogenyi, Uyo
Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN) has said the filing of unpopular candidates by political parties was responsible for growing voter apathy and escalating pre-election litigations in the country.
Amupitan who said billions of naira has been expanded on litigations because of inter-party fightings, stated that candidates produced through non-transparent processes during party primaries adversely affect the outcome of the elections.
Speaking during the Technical Workshop on the Revision of INEC Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties on Wednesday in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom, the INEC Chairman called on political parties to formulate ideologies and adhere to party constitutions.
He kamented that rather than bieng used as vehicles for national transformations, political parties are currently witnessing a disturbing trend of leadership squabbles and infighting that threaten to turn them into theatres of permanent strifes.
“Political parties in Nigeria face the 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. If unpopular candidates are forced upon the electorate through non-transparent processes, we face the twin monsters of voter apathy and an explosion of pre-election litigation.
“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,” he stated.
Amupitan said growing leadership squabbles within the parties was a distraction to the primary mandate of the Commission adding that each day spent in defending these intra-party disputes in court is a day diverted from the primary mandate of election planning.
“We are currently witnessing a disturbing trend of leadership squabbles and infighting that threaten to turn political parties into theatres of permanent strife rather than vehicles for national development.
“These frequent leadership tussles do more than just 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 said.
The Chairman stated that the 2026 Guidelines would introduce stricter benchmarks for membership documentation, financial transparency, and the inclusion of women, youth, and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).
He urged workshop participants to provide practical directions for a more stable and predictable political environment that would ensure political parties translate into democratic institutions that promote constructive dialogue and internal dispute resolution.
“We must use this workshop to embed regulatory mechanisms that encourage constructive dialogue and internal dispute resolution, reminding party leaders that cohesive leadership is not an option; it is a democratic imperative.
“Let us build a framework that protects the sovereign will of the Nigerian people from the point of candidate nomination to the final declaration of results.
“Our task is to ensure that political parties evolve from mere election vehicles into enduring democratic institutions,” he stated.
Country Director, Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), Nigeria, Mr Adebowale Olorunmola, said the workshop was designed to review the Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties following the passage and assent of the Electoral Act 2026.
Olorunmola explained that the workshop was necessary for the guidelines and regulations to be improved to strengthen the electoral act, adding that it involved bridging the gap between the letter of the 2026 Act and the practical, day-to-day operations of political parties.
He stated that the workshop aims to ensure political parties move from just being platforms for conducting election to viable institutions for sustaining democracy in Nigeria.
He maintained that WFD’s collaboration with INEC was rooted in the Political Parties Performance Index (PPPI), a new initiative that would allow more internal democracy and inclusivity among political parties, capable of reaching out to all demographics, and accountable by being legally compliant.
“Let these guidelines be the vanguard of a new era where political parties are defined by their internal democracy and their commitment to the Nigerian people.” He said.
