Parties’ primaries: INEC extends deadline for submission of members’ register

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has extended the final deadline for political parties to submit the registers of their members to the commission for the purpose of their primaries.

This was confirmed in a statement on Friday by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman,Information and Voter Education Committee in Abuja.

The date for the submission has now been extended to 10th May 2026, from the 21st April 2026 originally contained in the revised Timetable.

Such registers, according to the statement by Haruna, must be submitted to INEC not later than 21 days before the holding of their respective primaries.

Political parties, the INEC said, are free to fix the dates of their primaries within the approved period from the 23rd of April 2026 to the 30th of May 2026.

It is imperative that parties adhere to this timeline to ensure a smooth electoral process, it added.

The statement reads, “At the meeting of the Commission with the Political Parties on Tuesday, 24th 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 Election, which was originally fixed for 1st April 2026 to 21st April 2026.

“The Commission, 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 23rd of April 2026 to the 30th of 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 10th May 2026, from the 21st April 2026 originally contained in the revised Timetable”, the statement concluded.