Nigeria’s House of Representatives (Nigeria) on Wednesday amended the Electoral Act 2026 to impose stiff penalties on individuals who register as members of more than one political party simultaneously.
Under the amendment, offenders risk a fine of N10 million, a two-year prison term, or both upon conviction.
The amendment bill, sponsored by the House Leader, Julius Ihonvbere, was introduced for first reading during plenary and swiftly passed second reading before being considered and approved the same day.
The legislation specifically amends Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2026, which governs the administration of political parties within the electoral system.
According to a copy of the amended law obtained by The Nation, three new subsections — 8, 9, and 10 — have been inserted into the Act to address the issue of multiple party memberships.
Subsection 8 states that “a person shall not be registered as a member of more than one political party at the same time.”
Subsection 9 further provides that if an individual is discovered to be registered in more than one political party, such dual membership will be invalidated.
The person will also cease to be recognised as a member of any party until the situation is regularised in accordance with the provisions of the Act and the constitution of the affected party.
Subsection 10 outlines the punishment, stating that any individual who knowingly registers or maintains membership in multiple political parties commits an offence and is liable upon conviction to a N10 million fine, a two-year prison sentence, or both.
However, the amendment does not address earlier concerns raised by the Inter-Party Advisory Council and several opposition parties.
Opposition groups, including the African Democratic Congress and the New Nigeria Peoples Party, have criticised aspects of the Electoral Act 2026 signed by Bola Ahmed Tinubu, urging the National Assembly of Nigeria to review certain provisions to strengthen Nigeria’s multi-party democracy.
Among the contested sections are Section 60(3), which deals with the transmission of election results, and Section 84, which outlines the procedures for conducting party primaries.
The Act also mandates political parties to submit their membership registers to the Independent National Electoral Commission by April 2, with only individuals listed in the registers eligible to contest elections.
During deliberations on the amendment, some lawmakers expressed concern that the provision could be exploited for political manipulation.
However, the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the session, clarified that the key element of the law is the word “knowingly.”
According to him, only individuals who are aware that their names appear in the registers of multiple political parties and fail to correct the situation will be affected by the sanction.
Kalu added that the amendment aims to discourage politicians from maintaining dual party affiliations, stressing that anyone leaving a political party must formally document their resignation before joining another.