Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan (SAN), has said that the fielding of candidates produced by a non-transparent primary by political parties is responsible for growing voter apathy and escalating pre-election litigations in the country.
Amupitan, who said billions of naira had been spent on litigations because of inter-party fightings, stated that candidates produced through such 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.
“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.
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