IPAC Calls All Political Parties’ Primaries a “Charade,” Blaming the Electoral Act (2027)

The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has called the recently concluded primary elections of various political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections a “charade.”

IPAC National Chairman Yusuf Dantalle made the remarks on Tuesday at the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Second Quarterly Consultative Meeting with party leaders in Abuja.

Dantalle attributed the problems that plagued the primaries to restrictions imposed by the Electoral Act of 2026, which removed indirect primaries as a valid method for nominating candidates.

He noted that the nomination exercise, which officially ended on Saturday, May 30 2026, revealed significant legal, administrative and operational challenges that require urgent national attention.

“The restrictive provisions of Section 84(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which limit parties to either consensus or direct primaries, effectively forced parties into processes that were neither genuinely democratic nor practically workable,” Dantalle said.

The IPAC chairman observed that many parties chose the consensus option even when multiple aspirants had submitted expressions of interest and nomination forms.

“The exercise was a charade. While some aspirants accepted these arrangements in the interest of party unity, others challenged their exclusion, arguing that genuine consensus requires the voluntary agreement of all contestants,” he added.

“Consequently, several disputes have found their way to the courts, creating uncertainty and avoidable tension within the political system,” Dantalle concluded.