The political parties are restructuring their plans for next year’s elections to meet the requirements stipulated by the Electoral Act 2026, particularly digital registration of members and nomination of candidates for the polls.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Action Democratic Party (ADP) have kicked against those parts of the act.
But it was gathered yesterday that some of the parties are leaving nothing to chance in meeting the requirements.
The Tanimu Turaki faction of the PDP is set to commence its digital membership drive nationwide tomorrow, according to National Publicity Secretary Ini Ememobong.
Ememobong said in a statement that the exercise is in “compliance with the Electoral Act 2026, which requires all political parties to submit the digital register of their members to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).”
He added: “Registration will hold every day (except on Sundays) at all Ward, Chapter and State offices of the Party (special cases will be handled at the National Secretariat), throughout the registration period.
“A committee headed by the National Organising Secretary, Hon. Theophilus Daka Shan, has been set up to oversee the exercise and handle any complaints that may emanate there from.”
The APC concluded its own digital membership registration last month.
The other parties are expected to follow suit, failing which they will have no opportunity of presenting candidates for the elections.
Section 77 (2) of the Act says: “A party shall maintain a digital register of its members containing the name, sex, date of birth, address, state, local government, ward, polling unit, National Identification Number and photograph in both hard and soft copies.”
Besides, each party is required to make its register available to INEC 21 days before the date fixed for the party’s primaries, congresses and conventions.
Only members whose names are contained in the register will be eligible to vote and be voted for in party primaries, congresses and conventions.
Any party that fails to submit the membership register within the stipulated time will be ineligible to field a candidate for election.
National Chairman of ADP, Engr. Yabagi Sani, said the Act and the new election timetable released by the Commission raised serious red flags about fairness, inclusiveness, and equal political opportunity.
The Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said it was studying the timetable and would make its position known after a meeting tomorrow.
Sani said: “Let it be clear, democracy is not a race designed for only the well-positioned to win.
“Any electoral calendar that compresses the time available for party membership validation, primaries, and candidate emergence risks tilting the playing field against opposition parties and emerging political platforms.
