Membership Register: APC urges INEC to bar non-compliant parties from fielding candidates in 2027

What has the APC asked INEC to do before the 2027 general election?

The APC has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission to enforce the Supreme Court’s interpretation of Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2026. It wants INEC to verify whether every political party submitted its membership register as required. The party says sanctions should follow where violations are found.

The request was made in a 9 October letter from APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda and National Secretary Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru. The party also wants INEC to recognise only members listed in properly submitted registers during primaries, congresses and conventions. Section 77 requires submission at least 21 days before those events.

The issue matters because INEC said parties that breached the requirement would not be allowed to field candidates in 2027. The commission has received the Supreme Court’s Certified True Copy of the judgment. The APC says prompt enforcement would support transparency, internal democracy and the rule of law.

What is a political party membership register, and how is it used in primaries, congresses and conventions?

A political party membership register is an official record of the people who belong to that party. Under the rules described in the article, the register identifies which members may participate in the party’s internal decision-making. It helps make candidate selection more orderly, transparent and verifiable.

Before a primary, congress or convention, the party must submit its register to INEC. Section 77(5) says only members whose names appear on that submitted register may vote or be voted for. Section 77(6) bars a party from using a different register for those activities. The rule therefore links participation to one verified record.

This system can affect who emerges as a party candidate. The article reports that some candidates have been speculated to face consequences after the Supreme Court ruling. It also says parties that breach the statutory register requirements could be prevented from fielding candidates in the 2027 general election.

How many days before an internal election must a party submit its membership register to INEC under Section 77(4)?

Section 77(4) of the Electoral Act 2026 gives political parties a clear deadline for submitting membership registers. They must send the register to INEC at least 21 days before holding a primary, congress or convention. The requirement is designed to give the commission a fixed record before internal elections take place.

The deadline matters because the submitted register controls participation. Section 77(5) limits voting and candidacy in those internal processes to members whose names appear on the register. Section 77(6) also prevents a party from using another register. Together, these rules reduce uncertainty over who is eligible.

The article reports that the Supreme Court linked failure to submit a digital register within the legal deadline to possible exclusion from the general election. INEC has received the judgment’s Certified True Copy. Its information commissioner said parties that violated the requirement would not be allowed to field 2027 candidates.

What rules does Section 77 impose on which party members may vote or stand as candidates in internal elections?

Section 77 creates a single eligibility rule for party primaries, congresses and conventions. Members must appear in the register that the party submitted to INEC. This means internal election rights depend on the officially filed record, rather than on a later or competing list produced by the party.

Section 77(5) says only listed members are eligible to vote and be voted for. Section 77(6) prohibits a party from using any register other than the one submitted to the commission. The party must also meet Section 77(4), which requires submission at least 21 days before the internal event. These provisions work together to establish a verifiable process.

The APC says these requirements are mandatory, not optional. It asked INEC to check whether parties complied and to recognise only eligible members in relevant internal elections. The Supreme Court’s judgment, as described by the APC, reinforces the consequences of ignoring these rules, potentially affecting candidates and parties before 2027.

What could happen to a political party that fails to submit its required digital membership register on time?

The most serious possible consequence is exclusion from the 2027 general election. According to the APC’s account of the Supreme Court judgment, a party that fails to submit its digital membership register within the statutory deadline could be prevented from fielding candidates. This goes beyond an internal party dispute.

The mechanism begins with Section 77(4), which requires submission at least 21 days before a primary, congress or convention. Sections 77(5) and 77(6) then restrict participation to members on that submitted register and prohibit use of another one. The APC wants INEC to determine which parties met the deadline and apply the relevant consequences.

INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan disclosed that the commission had received the judgment’s Certified True Copy. National Commissioner Mohammed Haruna subsequently said parties that violated the membership-register requirement would not be allowed to field 2027 candidates. The article also reports speculation that some named candidates may already be affected.

Why is INEC expected to enforce the Supreme Court’s judgment, and what role does INEC play in Nigeria’s elections?

INEC is expected to enforce the judgment because the dispute concerns rules that the commission administers. The law requires political parties to submit membership registers to INEC. The commission also issues the election timetable and schedule of activities. Applying the judgment would turn the Supreme Court’s interpretation into an operational rule for parties.

The article shows INEC’s role through its officials. Chairman Joash Amupitan disclosed that the commission had received the Certified True Copy of the judgment. National Commissioner Mohammed Haruna then said parties that violated the membership-register requirement would not be allowed to field candidates in 2027. The APC has asked the commission to verify compliance party by party.

In Nigeria’s electoral system, INEC is the independent body responsible for administering federal elections and regulating relevant party-election procedures. Here, its decision could determine whether parties and their nominees proceed to the general election. Enforcement would also clarify how the judgment affects internal contests and possible candidate challenges.

Why does the law regulate party primaries, and how can internal party democracy affect who appears on the general-election ballot?

Party primaries matter because they select the people a party will nominate for public elections. The article says Section 77 is intended to make primaries, congresses and conventions fair, transparent and verifiable. Regulation prevents parties from changing eligibility rules or relying on an unverified membership list during these decisive processes.

The key mechanism is the submitted register. A party must give it to INEC at least 21 days before the internal event. Only members named there may vote or be voted for, and the party cannot use another register. If the party fails to submit the required digital register, the Supreme Court’s interpretation could prevent it from fielding candidates in the general election.

This creates a direct link between internal democracy and the general-election ballot. A person may win an internal contest, but compliance with the legal process still matters. The APC says enforcement would strengthen transparency and uphold the rule of law ahead of 2027.

Key Facts:

📌 APC asked INEC to verify all parties’ membership-register compliance.

📌 The party wants sanctions imposed for proven violations.

📌 Non-compliant parties could lose the right to field 2027 candidates.

📌 The register identifies members eligible for party internal elections.

📌 Only listed members may vote or be voted for.

📌 Parties cannot use a different register for those processes.

📌 Parties must submit registers at least 21 days before internal elections.