The Inter-Party Advisory Council has welcomed the extension of deadlines for the submission of political parties’ membership register by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
IPAC said the development would ease pressure on political parties as they prepare for upcoming primaries.
INEC had on Friday announced the extension of the deadline for the submission of political parties’ registers of members as part of preparations for the 2027 general elections.
The decision was announced in a statement issued in Abuja by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.
According to the commission, the adjustment followed concerns raised by political parties during a meeting held on Tuesday regarding the earlier timeline for submitting membership registers.
The initial schedule had fixed the submission period from April 1 to April 21, 2026.
However, INEC said the timeline had now been revised to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
“The commission agreed to adjust the period for the submission of political parties’ registers of members to align the 21 days prescribed by Section 77(4) of the Electoral Act, 2026, with the actual dates fixed by political parties themselves,” the statement read.
INEC further stated that political parties are now permitted to conduct their primaries within a window spanning April 23 to May 30, 2026.
“Political parties are accordingly informed that they are free to fix the dates of their primaries within the approved period from the 23rd of April 2026 to the 30th of May 2026,” the statement said.