INEC begins verification of political parties’ membership registers
The Independent National Electoral Commission says it has commenced the verification of membership registers submitted by registered political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement issued on Friday by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, the commission said all 22 registered political parties complied with the requirement for the submission of membership registers within the extended deadline approved by the commission.
“INEC wishes to state that all registered political parties complied with the requirement within the extended time frame and will subject the submitted registers to the necessary verification processes in line with the law,” the statement read.
The commission disclosed that all political parties submitted their registers on or before May 8, 2026, two days ahead of the extended deadline.
“The Commission is pleased to note that all registered parties submitted their registers as of 8th of May 2026, two days before the extended deadline,” INEC stated.
According to the commission, the extension followed concerns raised by political parties during a meeting held on March 24, 2026, regarding the timeline contained in the revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general elections.
INEC explained that it subsequently adjusted the deadline for the submission of party membership registers from April 21 to May 10, 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 of April 2026 to 30th of May 2026, while the register of party members was required to be submitted to the Commission not later than twenty-one days before the conduct of their respective primaries,” the statement added.
