Moses Ofodeme
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that all 22 registered political parties in Nigeria have successfully submitted their membership registers to the Commission in compliance with the Electoral Act 2026, ahead of the extended deadline of 10th May 2026.
The Commission made this known in a statement by National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Mohammed Kudu Haruna, who noted that all parties completed their submissions by 8th May 2026, two days before the deadline lapsed.
The development follows an earlier extension of the submission timeline, which had originally been set for 21st April 2026. The extension was granted after political parties raised concerns at a meeting with the Commission on Tuesday, 24th March 2026, regarding the timeline contained in the Revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 General Election.
In a press statement issued on 27th March 2026, the Commission adjusted the deadline to 10th May 2026 in line with the provisions of Section 77(4) of the Electoral Act 2026 and to accommodate the actual dates fixed by the parties for their primaries.
Accordingly, political parties were permitted to conduct their primaries within the approved period of 23rd April 2026 to 30th May 2026, with the requirement that their membership registers be submitted to the Commission not later than 21 days before the conduct of their respective primaries.
INEC said it will subject the submitted registers to the necessary verification processes in accordance with the law.
The Commission reaffirmed its commitment to the conduct of free, fair, credible and inclusive elections ahead of the 2027 General Election.