2027 Polls: KDI Urges INEC to Gazette 2026 Election Guidelines

The Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately gazette the 2026 Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections, saying the move is critical to strengthening transparency, legal certainty and stakeholder preparedness ahead of future elections.

In a statement signed on Monday by its Executive Director, Bukola Idowu, the election observation and governance organisation said although INEC had released the regulations and guidelines to the public, the absence of a gazetted version meant the legal and operational framework envisaged under the Electoral Act 2026 remained incomplete.

KDI explained that gazetting the document would establish it as the definitive and officially authenticated framework for conducting elections, while ensuring that political parties, candidates, election officials, civil society organisations, observers, security agencies and voters have access to the same authoritative rules.

The organisation noted that the regulations provide the practical framework for implementing the Electoral Act, adding that Section 151 of the Electoral Act 2026 empowers INEC to issue regulations and guidelines to give effect to the law.

It also recalled that the Presidential Election Petition Court, in its judgment on the 2023 presidential election, affirmed that INEC’s regulations and guidelines derive their authority from the Electoral Act and operate as subordinate legislative instruments.

According to KDI, publishing the regulations in the Federal Government Gazette would enhance transparency, strengthen accountability and provide a single official version that stakeholders can rely on.

“Gazetting provides official public notice by ensuring that all electoral stakeholders, including political parties, candidates, civil society organisations, election observers, security agencies and the voting public, have access to the rules governing the electoral process,” the statement said.

It added that gazetting would also “enhance transparency and accountability, enable independent verification of the official text, and strengthen public confidence in the integrity of the electoral framework.”

KDI argued that beyond public notification, gazetting would create a permanent official record that courts, election tribunals, legal practitioners and election managers could rely on when interpreting electoral procedures.

The organisation warned that failure to establish an authoritative version of the regulations could create uncertainty and increase the risk of disputes over competing versions or questions about the authenticity of election procedures.

It stressed that as preparations for the 2027 general election gather momentum, stakeholders need sufficient time to study, understand and disseminate the regulations before implementation begins.

The group said early gazetting would also minimise avoidable legal and administrative disputes arising from uncertainty over applicable electoral procedures.

KDI therefore urged INEC to take all necessary steps to ensure the prompt publication of the regulations in the Federal Government Gazette and to widely circulate the document to relevant stakeholders.

The organisation maintained that such action would reinforce public confidence in the electoral commission’s commitment to transparency and credible elections.

Reaffirming its commitment to democratic governance, KDI pledged to continue supporting reforms and initiatives aimed at promoting transparent, inclusive, peaceful and credible elections in Nigeria.