A chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and former presidential candidate, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has called for the disbandment of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and its replacement with a new electoral management body.
Olawepo-Hashim made the call while reacting to a recent Court of Appeal judgment concerning provisions of Nigeria’s electoral laws.
In a statement, the NNPP chieftain argued that the court ruling had exposed what he described as fundamental weaknesses in the administration of elections and raised concerns about the effectiveness of the existing electoral framework.
He maintained that electoral reform should go beyond amendments to legislation and address what he described as systemic issues within INEC.
According to Olawepo-Hashim, the commission’s existing structure should be replaced with an institution that, in his view, would provide greater transparency and accountability in the conduct of elections.
He urged the Federal Government and other relevant authorities to carefully examine the implications of the Court of Appeal decision and consider broader reforms to Nigeria’s electoral system.
The former presidential candidate also called on political stakeholders, civil society organisations and citizens to support efforts aimed at strengthening democratic institutions and improving confidence in the electoral process.
His comments come amid ongoing legal disputes over aspects of the Electoral Act 2026 and the powers and responsibilities of INEC ahead of the 2027 general elections. The Supreme Court recently reserved judgment in a separate appeal involving INEC and the Zenith Labour Party over provisions of the new electoral law.
Olawepo-Hashim said the objective of any reform should be to ensure that elections are conducted transparently and in accordance with the law, while protecting the integrity of the electoral process.
INEC has continued to prepare for the 2027 general elections under its published timetable and schedule of activities.
