The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) seems to have positioned itself in a catch-22 scenario by failing to show enough decisiveness and consistency in its dealing with of candidates’ lists forward of the 2027 normal elections. The related provisions of the Electoral Act, together with Sections 29(1) on the submission of candidates’ lists; 29(2) on candidates’ {qualifications}; 29(3) on the publication of candidates’ particulars; 77(2) on get together membership registers; 77(4) on the submission of membership registers; 77(5) on eligibility to take part; 77(6) on legitimate membership registers; 77(7) on failure to submit registers; 84(1)–(2) on the nomination of candidates; and Section 85 on the qualification of aspirants, present a authorized framework for electoral administration.
Furthermore, the Supreme Court judgment of September 24, 2026, upholding the constitutionality of Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2), reinforces the necessity for readability and constant enforcement. These provisions ought to present enough authorized steering for INEC to behave decisively, topic to relevant court docket orders.
However, the Commission’s obvious back-and-forth has created uncertainty. Today, a candidate’s identify seems on the checklist, tomorrow it disappears; and the next day, there are expectations that it’ll reappear. This inconsistency has opened the door to accusations, hypothesis and finger-pointing, acquainted options of Nigerian politics. It has additionally supplied alternatives for politically dependent supporters, whose livelihoods revolve round politicians, to tug the names and reputations of extremely positioned people into unnecessary controversies.
INEC should show firmness, consistency and independence in implementing electoral legal guidelines. Its selections must be clear, legally defensible and guided by established procedures moderately than another concerns.
Ultimately, nonetheless, the great thing about consultant democracy lies in inclusiveness, equity and equal alternative; a system wherein each certified citizen has a good likelihood to take part, both as a candidate on the poll or as a voter on the polling unit.
Zayyad I. Muhammad, Abuja
