As political activities gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections, opposition parties are expressing concern over the mandatory electronic membership registration introduced under the Electoral Act 2026.
At the centre of the controversy is Section 77(4) of the amended law, which requires all registered political parties to submit their digital membership registers to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not later than April 2, 2026, as a precondition for participating in the polls.
Under the law, only individuals whose names appear in the submitted digital register will be eligible to vote or be voted for in party primaries, congresses or conventions.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) was among the first to criticise the timeline, warning that the requirement could narrow the democratic space and sideline smaller or less technologically equipped parties.
Other opposition parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP), have also reportedly expressed reservations about the operational and financial implications of compliance.
The Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has scheduled a meeting to deliberate on the issue amid growing anxiety across party lines.
Political analyst and Arise News Editor for Politics, Sumner Sambo, faulted opposition parties for what he described as a lack of vigilance during the legislative process.
According to him, the amendment to the Electoral Act underwent public hearings and extensive debate at the National Assembly, making its provisions accessible to all stakeholders.
Sambo argued that while much of the public discourse focused on electronic transmission of results, critical sections such as Section 77 mandating digital membership registers received little scrutiny.
He noted that the All Progressives Congress (APC) appeared to have moved early to comply with the new requirement, giving it a strategic advantage.
He further observed that the provision effectively curtails last-minute political defections, a common feature of Nigeria’s pre-election season, as aspirants whose names are absent from a party’s submitted register would be ineligible to contest under that platform.
‘
However, ADC chieftain Kenneth Okonkwo accused the APC-led government of introducing stringent provisions to weaken opposition parties ahead of 2027.
Okonkwo described the requirement to submit detailed digital registers — including members’ addresses, polling units and National Identification Numbers within a limited timeframe as restrictive and potentially exclusionary.
He alleged that the amendment was crafted to prevent aggrieved aspirants from defecting to other parties after losing primaries, thereby consolidating the ruling party’s position.
Public affairs analyst Nduka Odo of Peaceland University, Enugu, said the uproar exposed deeper structural weaknesses within the opposition bloc.
According to him, the amendment process was neither secret nor rushed, and parties serious about contesting power should have tracked and prepared for compliance.
Odo warned that continued blame-shifting could inadvertently ease the path for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC in 2027.
“Elections are won long before election day — through organisation, legal compliance and strategic preparation,” he said, adding that the opposition still has a narrowing window to act.
With INEC also grappling with tight timelines and logistical constraints, the debate over electronic membership registration has added a new layer of tension to Nigeria’s evolving 2027 political landscape.
