APC asks INEC to enforce party-register ruling and bar non-compliant parties

The All Progressives Congress has asked INEC to enforce the Supreme Court’s ruling on political party membership registers and apply the consequences to parties that missed the legal submission deadline.

In an October 9 letter, the ruling party urged the electoral commission to verify whether each party submitted its digital register at least 21 days before its primaries, congresses or conventions. It sought restrictions on fielding candidates where non-compliance carried that consequence.

APC national chairman Nentawe Yilwatda and national secretary Ajibola Basiru signed the letter, which referred to the Supreme Court’s September 24 decision in INEC v Zenith Labour Party.

The letter said section 77(4) of the Electoral Act 2026 sets the register-submission deadline, while section 77(5) limits voting and candidacy at internal elections to members on the submitted register.

It added that section 77(6) prevents parties from using a different register. The APC said the court’s interpretation of section 77(7) meant a party that failed to submit its register on time could be barred from presenting candidates in the general election.

The party also asked INEC to ensure that only eligible members on the submitted records vote or stand in primaries, congresses and conventions.

The Supreme Court restored the disputed Electoral Act provisions in its September ruling, reversing an appeal-court decision. NaijaTrend reported the judgment here.

The APC argued that INEC, as a party to the case, was bound to enforce the decision. Its letter was a demand for enforcement; it did not announce that INEC had already barred any named party.

Sources: Punch, Vanguard