Electoral Act: IPAC raises alarm over ‘anomalies’

By Lawrence Agbo

The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has raised concerns over what it described as “anomalies” in Nigeria’s Electoral Act, warning that some provisions of the law do not serve the interests of Nigerians.

Speaking during an interview on News Night on Arise News, IPAC National Chairman Yusuf Dantalle said several irregularities identified during the review of the Electoral Act were not included in the final version of the law.

“Some of the anomalies we pointed out are in the new law. The Electoral Act doesn’t benefit Nigerians,” Dantalle said.

According to him, IPAC had earlier consulted widely with registered political parties during the review process of both the Electoral Act and aspects of the Nigerian Constitution, compiling their recommendations for submission to lawmakers.

He explained that the council harmonised the proposals from various parties and forwarded them to the National Assembly Joint Committee on the amendment of the Electoral Act.

However, Dantalle expressed disappointment that the proposals were not reflected in the final amendments considered by lawmakers.

“During the review of the Electoral Act and constitution, IPAC met all the parties. We made our position clear, we harmonised them and sent them to the National Assembly joint committee on Electoral Act amendment, but unfortunately, none of these recommendations saw the light of the day,” he said.

The IPAC chairman noted that political parties had expected the amendment process to address gaps in the existing law and strengthen Nigeria’s electoral framework ahead of the 2027 elections.