Nigeria's Political Parties Face Tight Primaries Deadline

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released a revised timeline for the 2027 general elections, stating that political parties must conduct their primaries between April 23 and May 30, 2026. This schedule follows changes in electoral law and aims to resolve disputes arising from primaries.

Malam Moham Haruna, the INEC chairman, informed the voter education committee about the approved timeline. Political parties are required to submit a digital membership register to INEC at least 21 days before their primaries, with non-compliance leading to disqualification of candidates.

Opposition party leaders, including Ini Ememobong of the People's Democratic Party and Bolaji Abdullahi of the African Democratic Congress, have criticized the new timeline as a strategy to disadvantage them and favor the ruling party, APC, led by President Bola Tinubu. They argue that the timeline creates significant hurdles for opposition parties, potentially preventing them from adequately preparing for the elections.