Political parties now have up till 10 May 2026 to submit the e-copy of their membership registers to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The initial deadline by INEC was 21 April 2026.
In a statement in Abuja on Friday, INEC National Commissioner/Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Mallam Mohammed Haruna, however, said that the parties are required to submit their registers 21 days before their primaries which have been scheduled for between 23 April and 30 May 2026.
Haruna explainef that the decision to extend the deadline was as a result of concerns raised by leaders of political parties during their recent meeting with the commission.
The statement disclosed: “At the meeting of the commission with the political parties on Tuesday, 24 March 2026, concerns were raised on the timeline for the submission of political parties’ registers of members under the revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general elections, which was originally fixed for 1 April 2026 to 21 April 2026.
‘ThThcommission, at the said meeting, agreed to adjust the period for the submission of the political parties’ registers of members to align the 21 days prescribed by Section 77(4) of the Electoral Act, 2026, with the actual dates fixed by political parties themselves.
‘Political parties are accordingly informed that they are free to fix the dates of their primaries within the approved period from the 23 April 2026 to the 30 May 2026. It is imperative that parties adhere to this timeline to ensure a smooth electoral process.
‘The register of party members must be submitted to INEC not later than 21 days before the holding of their respective primaries. This means that the final deadline for the submission of political parties’ registers of members is extended to 10 May 2026, from the 21 April 2026 originally contained in the revised timetable’.
