Electoral Act: Why NASS made party membership register submission to INEC mandatory

The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, has said the provision mandating political parties to submit a digital register of their members to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) aligns with global best practices aimed at strengthening party politics.

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Mr Bamidele, who represents Ekiti Central Senatorial District, explained that Sections 77(1)–(6) of the amended Electoral Act were introduced to promote internal democracy and institutionalise party governance nationwide.

He made this known in his Easter message released on Sunday by his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs, where he also urged political actors to emulate the virtues of sacrifice and tolerance symbolised by Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection.

Both chambers of the National Assembly passed the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2026 in February, and President Bola Tinubu signed it into law shortly after, despite widespread concerns from Nigerians over some of its provisions.

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Although the legislation contains about 154 clauses, Clause 60 which makes electronic transmission of results optional, generated the most controversy. Another contentious provision is Clause 77(1)–(6), which stipulates that only party members whose names appear in registers submitted to INEC are eligible to vote or be voted for in party primaries, congresses, and conventions.

Opposition figures have criticised the provision, arguing that it restricts political participation and could discourage defections by making party membership more rigid.

Those criticising the provisions have also faulted Clause 84(1)–(2), which mandates that political parties adopt either direct primaries or consensus in nominating candidates for elective positions.

Responding to these concerns, Mr Bamidele dismissed opposition arguments, stating that the amendments were outcomes of consultations with key stakeholders, not unilateral legislative decisions.

He emphasised that the provisions were not designed to serve personal interests but to entrench widely accepted democratic norms within political parties.

“The provision was not introduced for any self-serving purpose. Rather, it is consistent with the global best practices and aims specifically at building a culture of collegial decision-making that governs party politics worldwide.

“Globally, political parties are founded on clearly defined convictions and persuasions. The persuasions inform the decision of every member whether to join Party X or Party Y. Membership, therefore, is not just a requirement for the party management, but indeed the lifeblood of every political party globally,” he said.

On the digital membership register, the senate leader explained that the measure was introduced to prevent undue influence by powerful individuals unfamiliar with party structures.

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“Every member reverses the right to contribute to the decision-making process of his/her party. Such a system requires functional regulations and transparency, hence the need for the introduction of a digital party membership register. The register is to prevent powerful individuals, who are unknown to a political party, from hijacking its decision-making process ” he stated.

Direct primaries

Speaking on the adoption of direct primaries or consensus, Mr Bamidele said the provision aims to curb corruption and undue influence associated with the delegate system.

“The provision is intentional and not self-serving. It aims at ending a delegate system that compromises the interest of the majority and strengthens the arms of the moneybags to hijack the primaries. With the new system, we hope all party members can participate in the nomination of candidates for all elective positions transparently.

“The final decision is now in the hands of party members. It is no longer a process where aspirants openly display cash at the venues of party primaries to compromise delegates. This new…reinforces the principle of majority rule, which sits at the heart of democracy,” he said.