The House of Representatives on Wednesday amended the recently signed Electoral Act 2026 to introduce a penalty of N10 million fine or two years’ imprisonment for individuals registered as members of two political parties simultaneously.

The amendment bill, sponsored by the House Leader, Julius Ihonvbere, was listed for first reading at the plenary on Wednesday. It subsequently passed second reading, was considered by the House, and was approved the same day.

The legislation amends Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2026, which deals with the administration of political parties in the electoral process.

A copy of the amended law seen by The Nation shows that new subsections 8 to 10 were inserted into the Act, although the amendment did not address concerns earlier raised by the Inter-Party Advisory Council and several opposition parties.

Subsection 8 provides that “a person shall not be registered as a member of more than one political party at the same time.”

Subsection 9 states that where a person is found to be registered in more than one political party, the dual membership will be voided and the individual will cease to be recognised as a member of any party pending regularisation in line with the provisions of the Act and the constitution of the affected party.

Subsection 10 prescribes the penalty, stating that any person who knowingly registers or maintains membership in more than one political party commits an offence and is liable upon conviction to a fine of N10 million, a two-year prison term, or both.

Opposition parties, including the African Democratic Congress and the New Nigeria Peoples Party, have rejected aspects of the Electoral Act 2026 signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, urging the National Assembly to revisit the law in the interest of strengthening multi-party democracy.

The parties specifically criticised Section 60(3), particularly the proviso relating to the transmission of election results, as well as Section 84, which addresses the mode of conducting party primaries.

Under the Act, political parties are required to submit their membership registers to the Independent National Electoral Commission by April 2. Only individuals whose names appear on the submitted registers will be eligible to contest elections.

During deliberations on the amendment, some lawmakers expressed concerns about the possibility of political actors exploiting the provision for mischief.

However, the Deputy Speaker of the House, Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the session, emphasised that the keyword in the provision is “knowingly.”

He explained that individuals who are aware that their names appear in the registers of two political parties and fail to rectify the situation would be affected by the law.

Kalu added that the measure is intended to discourage politicians from maintaining dual party membership, noting that anyone leaving a political party should formally document their resignation before joining another.

Source: The Nation News