Political parties must submit their membership registers to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at least 21 days before conducting primary elections, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Oba Maduabuchi has emphasized.
Speaking in a television interview on Monday, Maduabuchi described the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on the Electoral Act as “perfect,” noting that the judgment reaffirms the electoral body’s constitutional authority to oversee and supervise elections.
In a unanimous decision by a seven-member panel on September 24, the apex court set aside a previous Court of Appeal judgment and restored statutory provisions governing party membership registers and candidate nominations. Under these rules, only individuals whose names appear on a register submitted to INEC within the stipulated timeframe are eligible to participate in party congresses or conventions.
Maduabuchi dismissed arguments that the requirement constitutes undue interference in the internal affairs of political parties, clarifying that political organizations retain the autonomous right to determine their membership.
“The determination of who is a member of a political party is in the hands of the parties. But when you have decided who is your member, tell me who they are, so when I am organising my election, I will know who I am dealing with,” he explained.
Addressing concerns over the timing of the judgment, the legal expert noted that the 21-day notice rule is not a novel legal invention, pointing out that similar procedural requirements have featured in past electoral frameworks and disputes dating back over a decade.
He added that mechanisms promoting direct primaries or consensus options help diminish the overpowering influence of money politics by elevating the direct will of party members over traditional delegate systems.
While declining to comment on the specific eligibility of individual politicians without access to party documents and submission timelines, Maduabuchi warned that actions taken in reliance on the overturned Court of Appeal verdict could leave certain candidates vulnerable under the restored law.
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