By Chibuike Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – A report released under the European Union-funded EU-SDGN II programme has identified gaps in the conduct and transparency of Nigeria’s 2026 party primaries, while setting out recommendations for political parties, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the judiciary and other stakeholders ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Titled Before the Ballot, the report examines how political parties selected candidates for the 2027 elections following the 2026 electoral reforms, including the party primaries and candidate lists published by INEC on September 12.
The report noted that although the reforms introduced direct primaries, giving party members a formal role in selecting candidates, key decisions relating to nomination forms, screening, consensus arrangements, internal appeals and submission of candidates to INEC remained largely in the hands of party leaderships.
It said the limited availability of party rules, membership registers, result forms and INEC monitoring findings made it difficult for aspirants, party members and observers to independently verify compliance with the new provisions or pursue challenges within the 14-day period provided by law.
On nomination costs, the report observed that presidential nomination forms cost as much as ₦100 million, while the All Progressives Congress (APC) fixed its nomination fees at ₦20 million for Senate and ₦10 million for House of Representatives forms.
According to the report, the high cost of nomination forms could increase aspirants’ reliance on financial sponsors.
The report also raised concerns over women’s representation in the 2027 electoral contest, noting that women account for 346 of the 3,560 House of Representatives candidates, representing 9.7 per cent, compared with 9.2 per cent in 2023.
It further noted that 160 constituencies have no female candidate.
On pending litigation, the report referenced the Court of Appeal’s July 16 judgment in Zenith Labour Party v. INEC, which affected membership-based eligibility rules introduced in the Electoral Act 2026.
It added that the Supreme Court heard INEC’s appeal on September 16 and reserved judgment.
The report said INEC’s federal candidate lists currently contain 18 presidential tickets, 1,303 Senate candidates and 3,560 House of Representatives candidates, adding that every National Assembly seat has more than one candidate.
It, however, noted that pending court cases could still lead to amendments to the candidate lists.
The report described candidate nomination as an early and significant stage of the electoral process and said its findings and recommendations were intended to support stakeholders as preparations for the 2027 elections continue.
For the period leading to the elections, it recommended that political party leaderships provide affected aspirants with reasons and records relating to disputed selections and candidate replacements.
It also called on INEC to publish relevant findings from its monitoring of party primaries and explain changes made to candidate lists.
The report urged the judiciary to deliver reasoned judgments in sufficient time for electoral authorities and political parties to implement them.
It further recommended that political parties incorporate their Peace Accord commitments into guidance for their officials and supporters, while security agencies should provide impartial protection and communicate their responses to reported incidents.
For the 2027–2031 period, the report recommended a review of nomination fees, the establishment of independent internal appeal panels, publication of party rules and primary results, and the development of enforceable measures to improve the participation of women, young people and persons with disabilities.
It also proposed a joint review by the National Assembly, INEC and the judiciary of nomination and litigation timelines to improve the administration of future electoral contests.
