•INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan at the meeting with political parties leaders
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has convened a meeting with leaders of political parties at its headquarters in Abuja to unveil and deliberate on new electoral guidelines ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In attendance at the meeting are chairmen and secretaries of political parties, as well as their representatives, reports Channels TV.
Among them are Senator Nenadi Usman representing the Labour Party, while Abdulrahman Mohammed and Samuel Anyanwu are representing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The meeting is focused on presenting and discussing newly drafted electoral guidelines designed to govern the conduct of the 2027 polls.
The development follows the enactment of the Electoral Act 2026, which necessitated a review of existing procedures.
According to the INEC Chairman, the updated guidelines are aligned with the provisions of the new electoral law, noting that political parties and other stakeholders can no longer operate within the evolving electoral framework using outdated regulations.
In addition to the guidelines review, INEC has outlined several preparatory measures, including the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
The process is scheduled to begin with online pre-registration on 18 August 2025, followed by in-person registration from 25 August 2025, allowing eligible Nigerians to register or update their voter information.
The Commission has also announced plans for a nationwide voter register revalidation exercise, aimed at removing duplicate entries and deceased persons to enhance the credibility of the electoral roll.
Debates around electoral reforms persist, particularly regarding provisions in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026, including the Senate’s position on real-time electronic transmission of results to INEC’s Result Viewing (IReV) portal.
Political activities are also intensifying ahead of the polls. President Bola Tinubu has received endorsement from the All Progressives Congress (APC) for a second term, while opposition figures, including Atiku Abubakar, Rotimi Amaechi, and Peter Obi, are exploring a coalition party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), to challenge the ruling party.
