By Gloria Ikibah
The House of Representatives has amended the Electoral Act 2026 to criminalise dual membership of political parties, proposing a penalty of N10 million or up to two years imprisonment for anyone found guilty of belonging to more than one political party at the same time.
The amendment was passed on Wednesday during plenary after lawmakers considered the bill at the Committee of the Whole. 
The legislation strengthens provisions relating to political party membership by introducing three additional subsections to Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2026.
Under the proposed amendment, it becomes unlawful for any individual to hold membership in more than one political party simultaneously.
“A person shall not be registered as a member of more than one political party at the same time,” the provision states.
It further provides that where an individual is discovered to be registered in multiple parties, such memberships will automatically become invalid.
According to the bill, “where it is established that a person holds dual membership, such membership will be invalidated and the individual will cease to be recognised as a valid member of any political party until the situation is regularised in accordance with the Electoral Act and the constitution of the affected political party.”
The amendment also outlines strict penalties for offenders who knowingly maintain membership in more than one political party.
“A person who knowingly registers or maintains membership in more than one political party at the same time commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of N10,000,000 or to imprisonment for a term of two years, or both,” the bill provides.
During the debate, lawmakers argued that belonging to multiple political parties undermines transparency within the political system and often creates confusion during party primaries and the nomination of candidates.
However, Rep. Abubakar Fulata, member representing Jigawa State, on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, raised constitutional concerns about the proposal.
He warned that preventing individuals from holding membership in more than one political party could conflict with Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees citizens the right to freedom of association. He suggested that the law should instead emphasise the need for individuals to maintain only one active party membership at a time.
Despite the concern, several lawmakers strongly supported the amendment, insisting that dual party membership is unethical and misrepresents political allegiance.
“You cannot put your legs in two different houses at the same time. For the sake of moral justice and honesty, you should belong to one political party at any given time,” one lawmaker said during the debate.
Lawmakers also examined how cases of dual party membership could be identified, noting that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) routinely receives membership registers from political parties ahead of their primaries. These records, members observed, could serve as a useful tool for detecting individuals whose names appear in more than one party register.
During the discussion, some legislators raised concerns about the possibility of innocent individuals being wrongly listed as members of multiple parties without their knowledge or approval. They warned that such situations could arise if a person’s name is entered into a party register without consent.
In addressing the concern, it was clarified that the proposed law targets only cases where dual membership is proven to be deliberate. This means that liability would arise only when it can be established that an individual knowingly registered or maintained membership in more than one political party.
Following the deliberations, the Committee of the Whole adopted the relevant clauses of the bill along with its long title. The House subsequently returned to plenary, where the committee reported its progress.
Once signed into law, the amendment is expected to reinforce existing regulations governing political party membership and help reduce instances of multiple party affiliations within Nigeria’s electoral system.
