Nigeria’s House of Representatives has amended the Electoral Act to criminalise membership in more than one political party at the same time, prescribing stiff penalties for offenders.
Gatekeepers News reports that the amendment was approved during plenary on Wednesday as lawmakers introduced three new subsections to Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2026, which regulates political party membership in the country.
Under the new provision, any individual found to be registered in more than one political party simultaneously commits an offence and may face a fine of N10 million, a prison term of up to two years, or both upon conviction.
The amendment also states that a person cannot legally belong to more than one political party at a time, and where such dual membership is discovered, it will automatically be declared invalid. The individual will also cease to be recognised as a valid member of any political party until the issue is regularised according to the law and party rules.
Lawmakers said the move is aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s political system by promoting party discipline and transparency while addressing recurring cases of politicians maintaining ties with multiple parties simultaneously.
If the amendment eventually completes the legislative process and becomes law, it is expected to tighten the legal framework guiding political party membership and discourage political opportunism within the country’s electoral system.
