The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned political parties that it will strictly enforce electoral regulations and guidelines ahead of party primaries for the 2027 general elections.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), gave the warning on Wednesday during the opening of a Technical Workshop on the Revision of INEC Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State.

The workshop was organised by the commission in partnership with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy.

Amupitan said the commission was compelled to strengthen enforcement mechanisms due to the growing wave of intra-party crises, leadership disputes and imposition of candidates, which he said have often resulted in voter apathy and avoidable court cases.

According to him, the 2026 regulations will introduce stricter benchmarks for party membership documentation, financial transparency, and inclusion of women, youths and persons with disabilities (PWDs).

“Our collective commitment is being challenged by leadership squabbles and judicialised politics,” the INEC chairman said.

“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 lamented that political parties, which should serve as vehicles for national transformation, are increasingly becoming arenas for internal conflicts and power struggles.

Amupitan added that the commission is determined to ensure a level playing field as the party primaries window scheduled between April 23 and May 30, 2026 approaches.

“Political parties in Nigeria face a crisis of internal democracy. Of grave concern is the quality of party primaries,” he said.

“We must enforce a level playing field. The quality of internal party democracy has a direct bearing on the secondary elections conducted by INEC.”

He stressed that while INEC remains a neutral umpire, it will ensure that the rules guiding candidate nomination and electoral processes are fully enforced.

“We are telling all stakeholders that while INEC remains neutral, we are fully committed to enforcing the rules of the game to ensure that the sovereign will of the Nigerian people remains sacrosanct,” he said.

In his goodwill message, Country Director of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, Adebowale Olorunmola, said the review of the regulations had become necessary to align them with recent developments in the Electoral Act.

According to him, the 2022 INEC Regulations and Guidelines played a critical role in the 2023 general elections, but changing political realities now require further improvements.

Earlier in his remarks, Resident Electoral Commissioner in Akwa Ibom State, Obo Efanga, described the workshop as timely and strategic, noting that it was aimed at examining the implications of the Electoral Act 2026 on electoral regulations and guidelines governing political parties.