Opposition Parties Rush to Meet INEC Membership Deadline

Opposition parties in Nigeria are accelerating efforts to comply with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) deadline for submitting digital membership registers, as mandated by the 2026 Electoral Act. The deadline requires political parties to submit their membership lists at least 21 days before their primary congresses, with the primary election period set from April 23 to May 30, 2026.

Non-compliance will result in disqualification from fielding candidates for the 2027 elections. Samson Itodo, Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, expressed concerns that many political parties lack the necessary digital membership registers to meet these requirements.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) began its membership registration in January 2025, while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) launched a free online membership registration platform to facilitate compliance and encourage participation. The ADC aims to ensure that all eligible Nigerians can seamlessly register as members, thus meeting the legal requirements outlined in the 2026 Electoral Act.