Political parties across Nigeria are intensifying efforts to beat the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) deadline for the submission of digital membership registers, as legal battles, leadership crises, and defections continue to cast uncertainty over preparations for the 2027 general elections.
Fresh concerns have emerged among opposition parties following pending cases before the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, particularly over unresolved leadership disputes that could significantly impact their compliance with the Electoral Act 2026 and their broader electoral strategies.
The new Electoral Act, signed into law by President Bola Tinubu on February 18, introduced stricter regulations for political parties, mandating them to submit a comprehensive digital register of their members to INEC at least 21 days before party primaries.
According to Section 77(2) of the Act, each political party must provide both hard and soft copies of its membership register, containing detailed information such as names, gender, dates of birth, residential addresses, states, local government areas, wards, polling units, national identity numbers, and photographs of all members.
The law further stipulates under Section 77(5) that only individuals whose names appear in the official register will be eligible to vote or contest during party congresses, conventions, and primaries.
More critically, Section 77(7) warns that any political party that fails to submit its register within the stipulated timeframe risks disqualification from fielding candidates in future elections.
Although many major opposition parties had initially opposed the new legal requirement, arguing that it could be used to stifle political competition, they have in recent weeks accelerated efforts to align with INEC’s directives.
Among the parties making frantic moves are the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), factions of the Labour Party (LP), the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), and sections of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
For the SDP, party officials insist there is no cause for concern.
Speaking in Abuja, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Araba Rufus Ayenigba, confidently declared that the SDP had already deployed the necessary structures to ensure compliance.
He noted that the party was not only prepared but ahead of schedule, revealing that INEC officials were expected to visit the party’s national secretariat for verification.
“There is no cause for alarm. We are fully ready for the commission. In fact, INEC officials will be visiting our national secretariat in Abuja for further verification. We are a step ahead,” Ayenigba stated.
Similarly, the NNPP said its digital membership registration was progressing steadily despite recent political shifts and defections.
NNPP National Publicity Secretary, Barrister Ladipo Johnson, acknowledged that some party members had exited due to the political movement of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and growing alignments with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), but maintained that the registration process remained active and on course.
He expressed optimism that the party would conclude its exercise within INEC’s timeline.
“The NNPP registration has been ongoing, and we are confident of meeting the deadline. While some members have defected following recent political realignments, the process remains uninterrupted,” Johnson explained.
However, the situation appears more challenging for the Labour Party.
The Julius Abure-led faction of the party has lamented that protracted litigation over the party’s leadership crisis has severely disrupted its digital registration exercise.
Labour Party spokesperson, Pastor Obiora Iloh, noted that while the party had previously recorded millions of electronic registrants and launched a nationwide grassroots mobilisation campaign, internal power struggles and multiple court cases have slowed progress considerably.
The party’s leadership crisis, which has divided stakeholders into competing factions, continues to hamper organisational cohesion at a critical moment.
Likewise, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has also intensified efforts to fast-track compliance.
Party leader Senator Seriake Dickson disclosed that he was working closely with National Chairman Senator Moses Cleopas to strengthen the digital registration process launched in March.
Dickson described the digital register initiative as crucial to building a credible political structure capable of competing effectively in future elections.
Political analysts believe that while the digital membership register policy is designed to promote transparency and strengthen internal democracy, it has also exposed structural weaknesses within several political parties, particularly those struggling with internal instability.
For many opposition groups, the combination of judicial uncertainty, defections, factional disputes, and administrative pressure has created a race against time.
The outcome of several court rulings expected this week could further alter leadership structures, influence party legitimacy, and determine how effectively affected parties can navigate the registration process.
As the countdown to INEC’s deadline continues, political observers say the coming weeks may prove decisive for Nigeria’s opposition landscape.
Failure to meet the legal requirements could effectively shut affected parties out of key electoral contests, while successful compliance may position them more strongly for the political battles ahead in 2027.
With the stakes higher than ever, Nigeria’s political parties are now confronting one of the most consequential administrative and legal tests in the country’s evolving democratic process.
