Politics:
Reps Urge INEC to Audit Party Registers Ahead of 2027 Elections
The House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct an audit of political party membership registers ahead of the 2027 general elections. The committee wants the commission to verify that candidates presented by political parties are listed in the membership registers submitted to INEC, in line with provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
The request was contained in a letter dated September 30, 2026, and signed by the committee’s Chairman, Bayo Balogun. The lawmakers said the move was necessary to ensure that political parties and their candidates comply fully with the provisions governing party membership and participation in primaries.
The committee specifically drew INEC’s attention to Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2026, particularly subsections 4 to 6. Under the law, political parties are required to submit their membership registers to the electoral commission at least 21 days before their primaries, congresses or conventions.
Section 77(5) further provides that only members whose names appear in the submitted register are eligible to vote or be voted for at party primaries, congresses and conventions. The law also prohibits parties from using a different register for such exercises after submitting one to INEC.
The committee’s demand follows the Supreme Court’s recent judgment restoring the disputed provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 after they had earlier been struck down by the Court of Appeal. The apex court held that Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) were not inconsistent with the Constitution.
The lawmakers argued that an early audit would help identify cases of non-compliance and reduce potential litigation after party primaries. They therefore urged INEC to cross-check the names of candidates submitted for the 2027 elections against the relevant party registers and take action against any candidate or political party found to have violated the law.
