AWC MDA DESK
May, 2026 – The countdown to Nigeria’s 2027 general elections entered a critical phase as the deadline for political parties to submit their electronic membership registers to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officially expired on May 10, 2026.
The submission requirement, anchored on provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, is regarded as one of the most significant compliance benchmarks ahead of the commencement of party primaries scheduled for later this month.
Under Section 77(4) of the Electoral Act 2026, all registered political parties are mandated to submit their updated electronic registers of members to INEC not later than 21 days before conducting primaries for elective positions.
INEC had initially fixed an earlier deadline in March but later extended the submission window to May 10, 2026, to provide political parties additional time to digitize their membership databases, expand registration drives, and resolve internal verification challenges.
With party primaries expected to begin on May 30, 2026, the May 10 deadline effectively satisfies the statutory 21-day requirement needed for INEC to review and verify the submitted registers before the commencement of intra-party elections.
Political observers described the final hours before the deadline as intense and frantic, with several parties reportedly working round the clock to complete uploads and documentation before the midnight cutoff.
Reports indicate that major opposition parties including the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Social Democratic Party, and Labour Party hurried to finalize their electronic submissions to avoid potential sanctions or the risk of complications during the primary election process.
Analysts say the electronic register requirement has become increasingly important in Nigeria’s electoral process because it is intended to strengthen transparency, reduce manipulation, and improve the credibility of party primaries.
INEC is expected to use the submitted databases to verify the authenticity of party members eligible to participate in primary elections, detect cases of double party membership, and ensure that political parties comply with constitutional and legal requirements relating to national spread and minimum membership thresholds.
Electoral experts note that the digitization of party membership registers represents part of broader reforms aimed at modernizing Nigeria’s electoral system and reducing longstanding disputes surrounding delegate selection and primary election irregularities.
The electronic verification process is also expected to assist INEC in identifying individuals who may have registered simultaneously with multiple political parties, an act prohibited under Nigeria’s electoral framework.
Political stakeholders say failure by any party to comply fully with the submission requirements could potentially expose aspirants to legal disputes, disqualification risks, or challenges regarding the legitimacy of their primaries.
The development comes amid increasing political realignments, defections, coalition talks, and intensified consultations ahead of the 2027 elections, with parties already positioning themselves for what analysts predict may become one of Nigeria’s most competitive electoral contests in recent history.
Attention is now expected to shift toward the conduct of party primaries, screening exercises, internal power negotiations, and the emergence of presidential, governorship, National Assembly, and state assembly candidates across the country.
