By Peter Dansu Fresh indications have emerged that the ruling All Progressives Congress may reopen its electronic membership registration p...
By Peter Dansu
Fresh indications have emerged that the ruling All Progressives Congress may reopen its electronic membership registration portal this week as political parties scramble to beat the deadline set by the Independent National Electoral Commission ahead of the 2027 general election.
According to Punch, a source within the APC disclosed that consultations among key stakeholders were ongoing and that the party’s e registration platform could be reopened to accommodate more Nigerians willing to join its fold.
The move is coming as the major opposition parties, the Peoples Democratic Party and the African Democratic Congress, have commenced nationwide digital membership registration in compliance with the Electoral Act 2026.
The development appears to mark a shift in tone, especially after opposition parties had last week gathered in Abuja to protest certain provisions of the amended Electoral Act signed into law by President Bola Tinubu. They had argued that the law confers undue advantage on the ruling APC and called on the National Assembly to revisit the legislation.
Despite their reservations, both the PDP and ADC have now swung into action following INEC’s directive that all political parties must complete their digital membership registration and submit updated registers by April 2, 2026.
The PDP, under the leadership of Tanimu Turaki, announced that its nationwide electronic registration would begin on Monday, March 2, 2026, and run for three weeks. In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, the party said the exercise would take place daily except Sundays across ward, chapter and state offices nationwide.
According to the party, a special committee headed by the National Organising Secretary, Theophilus Daka Shan, has been set up to supervise the process and address complaints. The PDP urged members and the general public to visit their nearest ward offices to register, stressing that only fully captured members would be eligible to participate in its primaries.
Similarly, the ADC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, announced the commencement of free nationwide online registration and directed old members to revalidate their details on its new digital platform. The party maintained that the exercise was necessary to comply with the Electoral Act 2026 and INEC guidelines, even as it reiterated its objections to aspects of the amended law.
The rush by parties follows INEC’s revised timetable for the 2027 elections. Initially, the commission had fixed the Presidential and National Assembly polls for February 20, 2027, and governorship and state Assembly elections for March 6, 2027. However, after criticism from stakeholders over a clash with Ramadan and subsequent legislative amendments reducing the mandatory notice period from 360 days to 300 days, the schedule was adjusted.
Under the new timetable, Presidential and National Assembly elections will now hold on January 16, 2027, while governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections are slated for February 6, 2027. Party primaries are expected to take place between March and April 2026, making the April 2 deadline for submission of digital membership registers a critical benchmark.
Political observers say the coming days will test the organisational strength of the parties as they race against time to mobilise members across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. For now, the battle has shifted from rhetoric over the Electoral Act to a full scale digital mobilisation drive that could shape the structure and outcome of the 2027 contest.
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