The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned political parties that it is no longer enough to offer free nomination forms to women while maintaining glass ceilings within their internal structures.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, speaking at the Commission’s 2026 International Women’s Day celebration on Tuesday, cautioned that any party primary that sidelines women would violate the Commission’s regulatory standards.

“A primary that systematically excludes women is a primary that fails the test of our new regulatory standards,” he said, adding, “There must be internal democracy that caters to women too.”

The Chairman emphasized that symbolic concessions to women are no longer sufficient under the Electoral Act 2026 and INEC’s new Regulations and Guidelines. He reminded parties that the Commission is the regulator and custodian of Nigeria’s democratic integrity and that the inclusivity of party primaries will be scrutinized more rigorously than ever.

As preparations for the 2027 general elections gather momentum, Prof. Amupitan stressed that parties must demonstrate genuine commitment to inclusive leadership, noting that democratic credibility is strengthened when all segments of society are given fair opportunity to participate.

He also expressed concern over rising gender-based disinformation and digital harassment targeted at female aspirants, warning that the electoral space must not be weaponized against women.

“Female candidates are disproportionately targeted by online harassment and fake news designed to suppress their ambition,” he said. “The electoral space must be a sanctuary for ideas, not a battlefield of gender-targeted character assassination.”

Prof. Amupitan highlighted INEC’s deliberate institutional commitment to gender inclusion, noting that women now occupy key leadership positions within the Commission. He disclosed that INEC currently has two female National Commissioners and a female Secretary to the Commission, who serves as the administrative head, while six Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) and eight Administrative Secretaries are women.

He added that the Commission has 10 out of 23 female directors at its headquarters, representing over 43 percent, and 218 female Electoral Officers out of 774 across the country.

“These women, working alongside their male counterparts, are contributing in no small measure to the growth, efficiency, and credibility of the Commission,” he said.

Prof. Amupitan further noted that INEC established a Gender and Inclusivity Department in April 2021 and appointed Hajiya Hadiza Abubakar Talba as Special Adviser on Gender and Inclusivity to drive the Commission’s agenda on the matter.

National Commissioner Prof. Abdullahi Abdu-Zuru, who also chairs the Outreach and Partnership Committee, described the performance of women in the Commission as a reflection of competence and equitable opportunity.

Secretary to the Commission, Dr. Rose Oriaran-Anthony, described the progress in advancing women’s participation as steady, structured, and policy-driven. She recalled that in earlier years, INEC had only one female National Commissioner and no female Resident Electoral Commissioners, noting that past perceptions had limited women’s participation in field operations.

“But we have evolved tremendously,” she said. “Our journey has been deliberate. We grew from the bottom up.”