Opposition Parties Rush to Meet INEC Membership Deadline

Significant opposition parties in Nigeria are racing against time to comply with the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) deadline for updating their membership registers as the 2027 general elections approach.

A valid membership register is crucial for any party intending to hold primaries under the provisions of the 2026 Electoral Act.

On Friday, INEC updated its timetable for the 2027 elections to prevent overlap with Ramadan, which has consequently shortened the preparation time for the primaries.

The new adjustments have startled opposition parties, many of which are still behind on updating their voter registers according to the stipulations of the 2026 Electoral Act.

The revised Electoral Act specifies that political parties must submit their digital membership registers to INEC at least 21 days before any primary, congress, or convention, with noncompliance leading to disqualification from presenting candidates.

Primaries, including the resolution of any disputes, as outlined by the Electoral Act 2026, are set to take place between April 23 and May 30, 2026.

Furthermore, the Act emphasizes that each membership entry must include the name, sex, date of birth, address, state, local government area (LGA), ward, polling unit, National Identification Number (NIN), and a photograph, with both hard and soft copies required in the specified format.

Many opposition parties were caught off guard by these requirements, as they struggle to meet the newly revised deadlines. Samson Itodo, Executive Director of YIAGA Africa, expressed concern in a memorandum to political entities noting that many parties lack a compliant digital membership register.

With the strict deadline ahead and limited time for preparation, parties are urged to quickly digitize and verify their membership registers to comply, as failure to do so could jeopardize their chances in the upcoming elections.

Currently, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) are leading the way, having begun their membership registration exercises earlier in the year, while many other parties have yet to start.

The APC has engaged in continuous membership registration since January 2025, extending its initiative to online registration in late 2025 and early 2026. APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka stated that current members need to confirm their registration while new members are encouraged to join.

The ADC also announced its free online membership registration, aiming to leverage the enthusiasm generated by a recently launched registration initiative. National Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi confirmed that this new online process is integral to the party's preparations for the forthcoming elections, and that manual registrations are continuing across Nigeria as well.

The People's Democratic Party (PDP) launched its digital membership registration on March 2, 2026, set to last for three weeks as part of its compliance with the Electoral Act 2026.

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has indicated that it has begun updating its membership register to align with the revised INEC timetable, with spokesperson Ladipo Johnson acknowledging the tight timelines but expressing optimism about meeting the requirements.

In contrast, the ADC has publicly rejected the new INEC timetable, claiming it poses significant barriers for opposition parties and favours the ruling party's interests. They assert that the recent compliance requirements create unattainable hurdles that could exclude them from the electoral process.

According to the ADC, the timeline for submitting digital membership registers is alarmingly short, leaving little time to amass the necessary data. The party highlighted the early start of registration by the ruling party as a disadvantage to the opposition.

Political analyst Dr. Kabiru Sa’id Sufi has cautioned that opposition parties are at a disadvantage due to the sudden changes in the INEC timetable and emphasizes that smaller parties may find it particularly challenging to comply.

With the elections drawing closer, these developments reveal a complex and urgent scenario for Nigeria's political landscape as parties scramble to ensure compliance ahead of the 2027 elections.