According to Vanguard, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that all 22 registered political parties in Nigeria have successfully submitted their updated membership registers. The submissions were completed ahead of the adjusted deadline of May 10, 2026, satisfying a mandatory statutory requirement.
The submission of membership registers is a critical prerequisite under the Electoral Act 2026, aimed at ensuring transparency and preventing manipulation during party primaries. The electoral umpire had extended the deadline from the initial April date to give political entities sufficient time to clean up their databases and align with internal party regulations.
With the compliance phase concluded, political parties are legally cleared to proceed with their primary elections, scheduled to take place throughout the remainder of May. INEC officials reiterated that only individuals whose names appear on the submitted registers will be eligible to vote or contest during these internal party selections.
Validating the compliance report, The Guardian outlined the transition toward upcoming primaries across the country. The publication quoted an INEC official who stated, “The full compliance by all 22 parties ensures that the foundational stage of our internal democracy framework is legally secure.” Furthermore, The Tribune detailed the regulatory impact, quoting a political analyst who observed, “Enforcing the submission of registers 21 days before primaries curtails the arbitrary addition of delegates, making the candidate selection process more credible.”
**Echotitbits take:** This full compliance represents a smooth administrative victory for INEC under the new legal framework of the Electoral Act 2026. The focus now shifts to how effectively the parties manage their upcoming internal primaries without sparking widespread legal disputes over candidate selections.
Source: The Punch – https://punchng.com/all-22-political-parties-submit-membership-registers-to-inec/, May 16, 2026
Photo credit: The Guardian
