Oke Urges INEC to Clean Up Political Space, Proposes Deregistration of Parties

•Situation Room says INEC leadership must be merit-based, not on partisan consideration

•IPAC: Appointment of INEC leadership by President an aberration

Onyebuchi Ezigbo and Juliet Akoje in Abuja

Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Hon. Busayo Oluwole Oke, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to take firm and immediate action to clean up Nigeria’s political environment by using its authority to regulate political parties more effectively, especially in preparation for the 2027 general elections.

He also cautioned that the unchecked rise of inactive and opportunistic political parties was becoming a serious obstacle to the country’s democratic development.

This was as the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room (Situation Room) – a coalition of more than 70 Civic Organisations has said appointments to the offices of Chairman, National Commissioners, and Resident Electoral Commissioners must be merit-based, publicly transparent and devoid of partisan considerations.

In a statement presented on June 30, 2025, during a constituency engagement in Ijesa North, Osun State, Oke, who represents the Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency, highlighted a worrying pattern where political parties that neither contest elections nor maintain organisational structures continued to exploit their registered status for financial and political benefits.

He pointed out that while INEC’s role in organising elections was widely recognised, its equally important duty of supervising and registering political parties has not received enough attention.

“Our democracy isn’t suffering from a lack of political parties,” Oke stated, “but from a flood of parties that serve no real purpose.”

He warned of an alarming increase in parties that disappear during campaigns, were unseen at polling units, but resurfaced in courts after elections to file lawsuits—often not to challenge results, but to blackmail legitimate winners.

Oke condemned the rise of what he described as an “industry of political desperadoes,” individuals who appear during elections not to win office but to make money from the process.

These parties, he said, have no voter base or governance agenda and use court cases as leverage for out-of-court settlements with victorious candidates hoping to avoid drawn-out legal battles.

He called this behaviour unethical and a major contributor to judicial abuse, placing additional pressure on an already strained court system dealing with tight election-related deadlines.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room (Situation Room), has said that  appointments to the offices of Chairman, National Commissioners, and Resident Electoral Commissioners must be merit-based, publicly transparent and devoid of partisan considerations.

Among the suggestions made by the civil society organisations were the enactment and operationalisation of the Election Offences Commission before December 2025, timely commencement of continuous voter registration and  civic-education to sensitise Nigerians on the voter registration exercise.

On the composition of new INEC leadership, Situation Room said all appointments or replacements in the electoral body should be completed well before the 2027 polls.

Speaking during the unveiling of the 2027 General Election Credibility and Transparency Threshold in Abuja on Monday, the Situation Room Convener, Yunusa Yau, said one of the major deciding factors for credible election is an assurance that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would be truly independent and autonomous.

He said nominees for INEC management team should have been politically neutral for at least a decade.

He also said the person would be made to disclose his or her assets and links to politically exposed persons, and undergo open Senate confirmation hearings to be broadcast live.

According to Yunusa  Yau, the nomination for the chair of electoral commission should be preceded by a 14-day petition window.

“Situation Room expects that the National Assembly will screen nominees rigorously and provide written reasons for its decisions,” he said.

The Situation Room also outlined six pillars of credibility that the 2027 general election must meet, for it to be credible, including, INEC institutional integrity, robust legal and accountability framework, transparent results management and technology, security and justice, internal party democracy and good campaign conduct, and inclusive participation and civic dialogue.

“Post-election, the National Assembly must institute independent performance audits within two weeks, while INEC must operate a public e-portal that allows citizens to file and track complaints against election officials.

“Annual joint oversight hearings—bringing together INEC, security agencies, the EFCC, and others—must review readiness and spending in the open, stated the Situation Room.

“Situation Room is also demanding transparent election results management, supported by reliable and trusted technology.