PAACA Challenges Stakeholders to Scrutinize INEC Guidelines Ahead of 2027 Polls

|By  Chinwendu Nwani

The Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA) has called on political parties, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders to critically examine the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s election guidelines and reviews ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The centre warned that politicians remain the biggest culprits in election-related crimes, stressing the need to empower citizens against manipulation.

“About 90 percent of crimes during elections are committed by politicians. If citizens are empowered with the right information, manipulation becomes difficult,” said PAACA’s Convener, Ezenwa Nwagwu, during a town hall meeting in Sokoto.

The event, organised by PAACA in collaboration with the Federal Government and the MacArthur Foundation, was designed to deepen public understanding of electoral processes.

INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in Sokoto State, Umar Yusuf Garba, represented by the Head of Voter Education and Publicity, Abdullahi Sale Dawa, described the forum as an important platform to strengthen democratic participation.

In his goodwill message, the Sokoto State Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Alhaji Babangida Kurfi, represented by Ms. Okeke Uche Ngozi, hailed the engagement as timely. He noted that the meeting provided an avenue for stakeholders to reflect on electoral reforms, consolidate gains, and identify areas for improvement.

PAACA urged all stakeholders to familiarise themselves with INEC’s guidelines to safeguard the credibility of the 2027 elections.