Five political parties under a coalition have announced a total boycott of the local government elections scheduled for Monday, August 17, 2026 over excessive administrative charges imposed on candidates and legal framework.

The coalition comprised the African Democratic Congress (ADC), People’s Redemption Party (PRP), African Action Congress (AAC), Social Democratic Party (SDP), and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

Addressing a joint press conference Sunday in Bauchi, Spokesperson of the coalition, Dr Ladan Salihu, alleged that the Bauchi State Independent Electoral Commission (BASIEC) is conducting the 2026 polls using the state’s 2008 electoral law.

Salihu explained that that the legal framework directly contradicts the national Electoral Act 2026, from which BASIEC derives its ultimate authority, thereby creating a weak and legally vulnerable foundation for the election.

The coalition strongly condemned what it described as excessive and prohibitive nomination and administrative charges imposed on candidates, given that the entire electoral process is funded by the state government.

According to the parties, the high costs appear calculated to financially drain opposition parties and diminish their competitive capacity, especially since they rely on voluntary member contributions while the ruling party controls public resources.

The coalition further picked holes in BASIEC’s election timetable, pointing key grievances, saying, “Detailed guidelines were reportedly released only after the timetable had already been published, political parties were restricted to a mere two-day window (July 15-17) to conduct party primaries.”

”Candidates were given only two days (July 22-24) to collect nomination forms and another two days (July 27-29) to return them, leaving insufficient time for documentation, screening, appeals, or dispute resolutions.

“BASIEC mandated that all forms be processed exclusively at its headquarters in Bauchi city, imposing heavy transportation and administrative burdens on rural candidates.” The coalition said.

“We have resolved not to expend our members’ hard-earned but meager resources on a process where genuine democratic competition has been compromised. Everything is being predetermined to ensure that the ruling party gets a sweeping victory.”

The coalition noted that the boycott was a principled rejection of political manipulation rather than a sign of weakness, stating that their resources would be rechanneled into party mobilisation and structure-building instead.

It demanded an immediate postponement of the local government elections until BASIEC addresses the listed grievances and provides a level playing field.

The parties warned that they would adopt legitimate legal or political actions if the commission failed to resolve the challenges.

When contacted, Chairperson of BASIEC, Hajiya Jummai Sadiq, denied the allegations, saying, “We have not violated any law and we are conducting the elections within the stipulated laws.”

She added that the action of the coalition would not stop the commission from conducting the elections as scheduled. (Daily Trust)