By Excellence Oseose
The European Union Support for Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN II) has raised concerns over the cost, transparency and inclusiveness of political party nominations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The concerns are contained in a new report, “Before the Ballot,” which assesses the 2026 party primaries and the candidate lists published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on September 12.
The report found that although the 2026 electoral reforms introduced direct primaries and formally gave party members a role in choosing candidates, significant aspects of the nomination process remained under the control of party leaderships.
It identified nomination forms, screening, consensus arrangements, internal appeals and the submission of candidates to INEC as areas where party leadership continued to exercise considerable influence.
According to the report, the limited availability of party rules, membership registers, result forms and INEC monitoring findings also made it difficult for aspirants, party members and observers to independently verify whether nomination procedures had been followed.
The report said the situation was particularly significant given the limited 14-day period available under the law for challenging aspects of the nomination process.
It also drew attention to the financial cost of seeking political office, noting that presidential nomination forms cost up to N100 million, while the All Progressives Congress (APC) fixed its nomination fees at N20 million for Senate and N10 million for House of Representatives aspirants.
Such costs, the report observed, could increase aspirants’ dependence on financial sponsors.
The report further highlighted the continuing gap in women’s representation.
It said women constituted 346 of the 3,560 House of Representatives candidates, representing 9.7 per cent, compared with 9.2 per cent in 2023, while 160 constituencies had no female candidate.
It also identified pending court cases as a factor that could still affect the final candidate lists.
The report referenced the July 16 Court of Appeal judgment in Zenith Labour Party v INEC, which affected membership-based eligibility provisions under the Electoral Act 2026.
It noted that the Supreme Court heard INEC’s appeal on September 16 and had reserved judgment.
The candidate lists published by INEC comprised 18 presidential tickets, 1,303 Senate candidates and 3,560 House of Representatives candidates, with more than one candidate contesting every National Assembly seat.
Against this background, the EU-SDGN report proposed measures to strengthen confidence in the nomination process before the 2027 elections.
It recommended that political parties disclose the reasons and records behind disputed selections and replacements to affected aspirants, while INEC should publish relevant findings from its monitoring of party primaries and explain changes to published candidate lists.
It also urged the judiciary to issue reasoned judgments early enough for electoral authorities and political parties to implement them.
Beyond the 2027 elections, the report recommended a review of nomination fees, independent internal appeal panels within political parties, publication of party rules and primary results, and enforceable measures to improve the participation of women, young people and persons with disabilities.
It further called for the National Assembly, INEC and the judiciary to jointly review nomination and litigation timelines for the 2027–2031 electoral cycle.
The report said addressing these issues would be important not only for the conduct of the 2027 elections but also for strengthening the credibility and transparency of Nigeria’s wider electoral system.
