Political parties in last minute scramble as INEC clock ticks

With exactly 17 days remaining until the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) May 30, 2026 deadline, the statutory window for formal political realignment has effectively closed. This closure affects all forms of party hopping, defections, and the merging of coalitions ahead of the 2027 General Elections.

​Under Section 77(4) of the Electoral Act, political parties were legally required to submit their comprehensive digital membership registers to INEC by May 10, 2026. This deadline falls 21 days prior to the conclusion of primaries, and only individuals listed on these submitted registers are eligible to vote or contest. Parties are currently within the active window, spanning 23 April to 30 May 2026, to conclude internal primaries, resolve disputes, and officially lock in their chosen candidates.

​Once the May 30 deadline terminates the primary season, INEC will open its online nomination portal on 26 June 2026. At this stage, parties will begin uploading candidate access credentials and required statutory forms. Commission Chairman Mahmood Yakubu has previously emphasised that the commission does not possess the constitutional power to arbitrarily extend candidate submission deadlines if doing so violates the statutory timelines fixed by the Electoral Act and the 1999 Constitution.

​Constitutional boundaries and interlocking deadlines

​Under Section 153 and the Third Schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), INEC is granted discretionary authority to organise, undertake, and supervise elections. However, this authority must be exercised strictly within the boundaries set by existing laws. For the 2027 cycle, INEC explicitly instituted a rigid 38-day window for political parties to conduct primaries.

​The interlocking nature of these deadlines creates a legal cushion for the electoral process. Because the final date of the primary window is 30 May, the strict deadline for submitting party membership registers was set for 10 May 2026. If INEC were to grant adjustments beyond the stipulated window without a legislative amendment by the National Assembly, it would face severe legal complications, including the potential automatic disqualification of parties from fielding candidates.

​The Electoral Act 2026 explicitly strips political parties of the ability to accommodate late-stage defections or manipulate internal rules to favour late entrants. This legislation effectively eliminates the “Peter Obi loophole” of the 2022 cycle, making opportunistic, post-primary defections virtually impossible. If an aspirant loses a primary in “Party A” and seeks to defect to “Party B,” they cannot contest because “Party B” has already locked and submitted its register.

​Furthermore, the law strictly prohibits dual party membership. Under recent amendments, anyone found holding membership in more than one party at the same time faces a fine of ₦10 million, a two-year prison sentence, or both. If an aggrieved aspirant secretly registers with a new party while remaining a member of their original organisation, the dual membership is automatically voided, leaving the individual without a valid platform until the issue is legally resolved.

​Restrictions on candidate substitution

​Political parties are legally banned from changing or substituting candidate names already submitted to INEC, except in strict cases of death or voluntary withdrawal. If a candidate steps down or dies, the party must conduct a fresh primary within 14 days. This provision prevents party elites from handing tickets to “outsourced” defectors from other parties.

​Under Section 88(2), aggrieved aspirants retain the right to challenge fraudulent primary procedures at the Federal High Court. New amendments prevent “forum shopping” by restricting pre-election court filings strictly to designated federal jurisdictions. This ensures fast legal resolutions, though it leaves aspirants who lose due to procedural non-compliance with no recourse other than a lawsuit; they can no longer seek an alternative ticket elsewhere.

​The May 30 deadline affects all states across Nigeria, impacting internal selection processes for presidential, governorship, and legislative positions. Several states, specifically Yobe, Gombe, Rivers, and Borno, are reportedly experiencing internal crises over candidate selection. The compressed timeline is forcing rapid compliance, with many parties reporting growth in membership registration in Taraba, Adamawa, and Benue to meet the 21-day submission rule.

​While the general election primaries conclude in May, separate by-elections for vacant legislative seats are scheduled for 20 June 2026 in states including Enugu, Nasarawa, and Kano.

Additionally, off-cycle governorship elections in Ekiti (20 June 2026) and Osun (15 August 2026) are proceeding, though political actors in these regions remain subject to the overarching 2027 election timetable.(BusinessDay)