2027: INEC warns parties against excluding women in primaries, threatens sanctions
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN), has read the riot act to Nigerian political parties ahead of the 2027 general polls, warning that failure to include women in primaries will attract regulatory sanctions.
Amupitan gave the directive at the commission’s International Women’s Day 2026 celebration in the nation’s capital.
He added that under the Electoral Act 2026 and the commission’s new guidelines, INEC would be scrutinising the inclusivity of party primaries like never before.
He said the commission believed it was no longer enough to offer free nomination forms to women while maintaining glass ceilings in the inner caucuses.
Amupitan raised an alarm on what he termed “gender based disinformation and digital harassment aimed at female aspirants”, declaring that the electoral space must remain a sanctuary of ideas rather than a battlefield of gender targeted character assassination.
“Here at INEC, we are committed to equity with women now holding 43% of directorate-level positions at the headquarters, with 218 women serving as electoral officers across the federation.
“To further this agenda, we appointed Hajia Hadiza Abubakar Talba as Special Adviser on Gender and Inclusivity”, he said.
