The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has warned that the 2027 general elections could trigger more post-election litigation than ever before, blaming the anticipated legal battles on exclusionary party primaries, alleged electoral violence and politicians’ disregard for democratic rules.
IPAC National Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle, raised the alarm on Tuesday in Abuja during a panel session at the Dissemination of the EU-SDGN EOH Post-Election Reports on the Ekiti and Osun Governorship Elections.
Dantalle stressed that the way political parties select their candidates could determine the scale of disputes arising from the elections, warning that aspirants denied a fair chance in party primaries might resort to the courts.
He said: “I believe we’re going to have a lot of litigation coming from this election, a lot more than ever before.”
Dantalle described party primaries as the most critical stage of the electoral process, arguing that the candidates presented by political parties ultimately shape the choices available to voters during general elections.
Dantalle also accused some politicians of undermining democracy through what he described as electoral violence, threats and attempts to circumvent established rules, insisting that Nigeria could not expect better electoral outcomes without confronting such practices.
“I would always try to say the truth, even though it is bitter. We can’t continue to do the same thing and expect a different result.
“Why do we need to circumvent the rules? Why do we need to attack the same people? Why do we need to kill ourselves?” he asked.
The IPAC chairman expressed concern over what he described as inadequate accountability for politicians accused of making threatening statements in connection with elections.
He further alleged that prohibitive charges for campaign billboards and posters in some states and the Federal Capital Territory were restricting opposition candidates’ visibility and undermining fair political competition.
“Today we have, in some states, even in FCT, you can only see the billboards or photographs of the sitting president; you can’t see any other candidate. Because some outrageous amount of money has been imposed on other candidates. Is that a democracy?” he queried.
Dantalle also called for reforms to the appointment process for the chairman and commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), arguing that the role of appointing authorities raised questions about the commission’s independence.
He faulted the National Assembly for failing to consider recommendations submitted by IPAC and INEC during the review of the Electoral Act and the Constitution.
On local government elections, he criticised state independent electoral commissions, alleging that their dependence on state governments had weakened democratic competition at the grassroots.
He urged security personnel to resist political pressure and remain loyal to their constitutional responsibilities.
“You are a Nigerian before becoming a police, even though there are influences or pressure on you to do some things, please look at yourself, see yourself as a Nigerian first.”
Dantalle called on political parties, civil society organisations and development partners to intensify efforts to protect democratic participation, urging Nigerians to reject violence, participate actively in the 2027 elections and defend their votes.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Training and Development, Isyaku Mohammed, who oversaw election operations in Osun State, said it was drawing lessons from the peaceful conduct of the Osun State governorship election to strengthen security preparations for the 2027 general elections.
Mohammed attributed the peaceful conduct of the poll to advanced threat assessments, intelligence gathering, engagement with political stakeholders and coordinated security deployments.
According to Mohammed, the police deployed visibility patrols and stabilisation operations, while intelligence-led activities, including the use of drones to monitor suspected troublemakers, helped prevent potential disruptions.
“One of the lessons we learnt in the Osun election, which we intend to apply in the 2027 election, is that we need to have robust patrol and intelligence gathering, so that anywhere we perceive threats, we do deployment accordingly,” he said.
Mohammed said the 2027 general elections would pose a more complex security challenge because of the different political dynamics and potential threats across the states.
He added that the police were preparing personnel deployments based on security assessments and had begun training officers to improve their capacity to manage election-related challenges.
“So far, we are on top of the situation, and we are getting ready. I pray and hope that the 2027 election will come and pass just like the Osun State election.”
Presenting key findings from the Ekiti and Osun elections, Executive Director of the Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO), Dr. Akin Akingbulu, described both elections as critical tests ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Akingbulu argued that credible elections required not only accurate vote counting but also the freedom to make political choices without intimidation, coercion or inducement.
He urged INEC, security agencies, political parties, the media and civil society to act on the lessons from the two states before 2027.
“Nigerians will expect an election that is not only well managed, but well protected. They will expect results that are not only accurate, but understood. They will expect a secret ballot that is secret in fact, and not only in law,” he said.
