Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that all 22 registered political parties in the country have successfully submitted their membership registers in compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
The Commission disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday by the Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.
According to Haruna, the submissions followed the extension granted by the Commission after political parties raised concerns over the original timeline during a consultative meeting held on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, on 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,” he stated.
Haruna recalled that after discussions with political parties, INEC issued a statement on March 27, 2026, extending the deadline for the submission of party membership registers from April 21 to May 10, 2026. The adjustment, he explained, was made to ensure compliance with Section 77(4) of the Electoral Act 2026 and to accommodate the actual dates fixed by political parties for their primaries.
He further noted that political parties were permitted to conduct their primaries within the approved window of April 23 to May 30, 2026, while membership registers were required to be submitted at least 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,” Haruna added.
The electoral body also reaffirmed its commitment to conducting free, fair, credible and inclusive elections ahead of the 2027 general polls.
