IEBC Gets Nomination Rules From 105 Parties as 2027 Election Prep Continues

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) announced that it has taken delivery of certified nomination guidelines submitted by 105 fully registered political parties, a milestone in the lead-up to the General Election scheduled for August 10, 2027.

The documents were filed by the statutory deadline of November 6, 2026, following certification by the Registrar of Political Parties on October 30, 2026, and the commission said it will now carry out a fourteen-day statutory review.

IEBC Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon stated that the exercise satisfies the commission’s constitutional responsibility to oversee party nominations and that the review will determine whether the rules meet the Constitution, the Elections Act and related regulations.

Article 88(4)(d) of the Constitution and Section 27 of the Elections Act require parties to submit their nomination rules at least six months before candidate nominations, and give the commission fourteen days from receipt to issue a compliance certificate or request amendments, as provided in Section 27(2A).

The assessment will examine issues such as candidate eligibility, nomination procedures, member participation, representation of special interest groups, gender inclusion and the mechanisms parties have set up to resolve internal nomination disputes.

The IEBC cautioned that the receipt of the documents does not amount to approval, adding that each party’s compliance status will be confirmed only after the review, with certificates issued to compliant parties and notices of required changes sent to others.

Only parties that had achieved full registration by the November 6 deadline were eligible to submit; groups lacking full registration were excluded from the process.

The commission reaffirmed its intention to apply uniform legal and procedural standards to promote transparent, fair and credible party nominations ahead of the 2027 polls.