Parties Face Disqualification Over Membership Registration

The new Electoral Act poses significant challenges for political parties in Nigeria, as they risk disqualification from the 2027 elections if they do not comply with Section 77 of the Act. This section mandates that parties submit a comprehensive digital membership register to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by April 21, 2026.

The register must include details such as names, sex, date of birth, addresses, and national identification numbers of members. Failure to submit this register will result in parties being ineligible to field candidates for the elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, and governorship elections on February 6, 2027.

Opposition parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), have criticized certain provisions of the law as obstructive, alleging that they are designed to narrow democratic space. Bolaji Abdullahi, ADC spokesperson, described the timeframe for compliance as practically impossible, while the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been compiling its membership register since February 2025.