APC asks INEC to bar parties over membership register breach
Nigeria's All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disqualify parties that failed to submit digital membership registers as required by the Electoral Act 2026.
Intelligence analysis by Gemini 2.5 Flash
The APC, citing a recent Supreme Court judgment, is pushing INEC to enforce Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2026, which mandates political parties to submit their membership registers 21 days before primaries, congresses, or conventions. Non-compliance, according to the APC, should lead to parties being barred from fielding candidates in the 2027 general elections.
Imagine all the clubs at your school need to give the principal a list of their members before they can vote for a new leader. Only kids on that list can vote or run for leader. Now, one big club, the APC, is telling the principal (INEC) that some other clubs didn't give their lists on time. The APC wants the principal to say those clubs can't pick a leader for the big school election next year, because a very important judge (the Supreme Court) said everyone must follow this rule to make sure voting is fair.
Analysis
Electoral Act 2026
The Electoral Act 2026, particularly Section 77, is at the heart of the current political contention in Nigeria. This legislation was designed to promote internal democracy within political parties by ensuring transparency in their primary elections, congresses, and conventions. It specifically mandates that parties must submit their digital membership registers to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at least 21 days before these internal electoral processes.
Furthermore, Section 77(5) explicitly states that only members whose names appear on the submitted register are eligible to vote or be voted for in party primaries. This provision aims to prevent the arbitrary inclusion of non-members or the manipulation of membership lists during critical selection processes. The Act also prohibits parties from using any register other than the one officially submitted to INEC, reinforcing the integrity of the process.
Supreme Court Judgment
The All Progressives Congress (APC) is leveraging a Supreme Court judgment delivered on September 24, 2026, in the case of INEC v Zenith Labour Party (Suit No. SC/CV/495/2026). This landmark ruling affirmed the constitutional validity of Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2026, overturning a previous Court of Appeal decision that had nullified subsections 77(5) to (7) and 84(2) of the Act. The Supreme Court's decision underscored the mandatory nature of these statutory requirements.
The Court emphasized that the objective of Section 77 is to ensure that political parties adhere strictly to principles of internal democracy, fostering fair, transparent, and verifiable conduct of their internal elections. It clarified that a political party failing to submit its digital membership register within the prescribed period could face severe consequences, including being precluded from fielding candidates in the general election. This judicial pronouncement provides a strong legal basis for INEC to enforce the provisions rigorously.
All Progressives Congress's Stance
The APC, through its National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, and National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, formally requested INEC to take immediate steps to enforce this Supreme Court judgment. The party argued that INEC, having been a party to the case, is constitutionally bound by Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution to enforce the judgment. The APC stressed that political parties were given sufficient time to comply with the requirements of Section 77(4) and therefore have no justification for missing the statutory deadline.
By pushing for strict enforcement, the APC aims to ensure a level playing field and uphold the integrity of the electoral process leading up to the 2027 general elections. This move could potentially disqualify several parties that may have overlooked or failed to comply with the digital membership register submission requirements, thereby consolidating the position of compliant parties and reinforcing the rule of law in Nigeria's political landscape.
Key points
- The All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged INEC to bar non-compliant parties from the 2027 general elections.
- The demand is based on Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2026, which mandates digital membership register submission.
- A Supreme Court judgment on September 24, 2026, affirmed the validity and mandatory nature of Section 77.
- Parties must submit registers 21 days before primaries, congresses, or conventions, and only listed members can participate.
- Non-compliance could lead to parties being precluded from fielding candidates, according to the Supreme Court.
Strict enforcement of the Electoral Act 2026 could significantly enhance internal party democracy and transparency in Nigeria's political system. This might lead to more credible candidate selection processes and ultimately strengthen public trust in the electoral outcomes of the 2027 general elections.
The call for strict enforcement could lead to widespread disqualifications of political parties, potentially disenfranchising a large number of voters and increasing political tensions. This might also trigger a wave of legal challenges, further complicating the already intricate electoral preparations for 2027.
