Supreme Court Ruling Raises Questions for APM and 2027 Party Primaries
The Supreme Court’s reported 24 September 2026 decision restoring key Electoral Act provisions has placed renewed focus on party membership registers and candidate nominations ahead of the 2027 elections. Under Sections 77(5)–(7), parties must submit membership registers to INEC within the required period before primaries. Only persons listed in the submitted register may participate, and a party that fails to comply may be unable to field candidates. This could create challenges for parties seeking to accommodate late defectors. The issue may be particularly important for smaller parties such as the Allied Peoples Movement in Oyo State if prominent politicians seek its ticket. However, each case will depend on when a person joined the party, when the register was filed, and whether the party uses a direct primary or a valid consensus process. Dual party membership is a separate matter. A genuine defection does not automatically amount to dual membership simply because an old party has not updated its records. Any criminal penalty for dual registration would depend on whether the proposed legal amendment is in force.
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