Political stakeholders across Nigeria are under increasing pressure to meet new compliance standards as political parties prepare for primary elections scheduled to commence on April 23, 2026.
The Executive Director of Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth & Advancement (YIAGA), Samson Itodo, has warned that failure to adhere to provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 could lead to severe sanctions, including disqualification from fielding candidates in the 2027 general elections.
In a statement issued on Friday, Itodo noted that the Electoral Act 2026 mandates all registered political parties to submit their digital membership registers to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not later than 21 days before conducting any primary election, congress, or national convention.
He stressed that non-compliance with the directive would automatically bar affected parties from presenting candidates for elective offices.
According to him, the Act clearly outlines the format and mandatory content of the digital membership register. Each party register must include the name, sex, date of birth, residential address, state, local government area, ward, polling unit, National Identification Number (NIN), and photograph of every registered member. Political parties are also required to submit both hard and soft copies of the register in the prescribed format.
Itodo expressed concern that most political parties currently lack digital membership registers that fully comply with the new legal requirements. With the 21-day submission window and the primaries fast approaching, he urged parties to urgently update, digitize, and verify their membership databases.
He warned that failure to meet the deadline could attract serious consequences, including exclusion from participating in the 2027 elections.
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