By Emmanuel Okogba
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says that all 22 registered political parties have successfully submitted their membership registers as required by the Electoral Act 2026.
INEC disclosed this in a statement on Friday, confirming that the parties met the extended deadline of May 10, 2026, with submissions completed on May 8.
The statement signed by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, said the Commission had granted the extension after political parties raised concerns during a meeting on March 24, 2026. The original deadline of April 21 was moved to May 10 to give parties sufficient time to compile their registers and conduct primaries.
Political parties are scheduled to hold their primaries between April 23 and May 30, 2026, while membership registers must be submitted at least 21 days before each party’s primary.
INEC said the submitted registers will now undergo verification in line with the law.
The Commission reaffirmed its commitment to conducting free, fair, credible, and inclusive elections in 2027.
The statement reads, “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) wishes to inform Nigerians and stakeholders in the electoral process that all 22 registered political parties have successfully submitted their membership registers to the Commission in compliance with the Electoral Act 2026.
“The submission followed the extension granted by the Commission after political parties raised concerns during a meeting on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, regarding the timeline provided in the Revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 General Election. The Commission is pleased to note that all registered parties submitted their registers as of 8th May 2026, two days before the extended deadline.
“Following a meeting with political parties, the Commission, in a press statement issued on the 27th of March 2026, adjusted the deadline for the submission of party registers from 21st April 2026 to 10th May 2026 to align with the provisions of Section 77(4) of the Electoral Act 2026 and the actual dates fixed by political parties for their primaries. Political parties were accordingly allowed to conduct their primaries within the approved period from 23rd April 2026 to 30th May 2026, while the register of party members was required to be submitted to the Commission not later than 21 days before the conduct of their respective primaries.
“INEC wishes to state that all registered political parties complied with the requirement within the extended timeframe and will subject the submitted registers to the necessary verification processes in line with the law. The Commission remains committed to the conduct of free, fair, credible and inclusive elections.”
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