Dozens of National Assembly members’ political ambitions have been curtailed by the Electoral Act 2026, with at least 12 serving senators unable to seek alternative platforms after losing party primary tickets.
The development follows a new provision in the amended law that ties eligibility to contest elections to prior membership of a political party, effectively ending the practice of late defections after primary election losses.
Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2026 mandates all political parties to submit their electronic membership register to the Independent National Electoral Commission not later than 21 days before party primaries.
Only persons whose names appear on the submitted register are eligible to vote and be voted for in primaries, congresses and conventions.
The provision also voids dual membership of political parties, with penalties of a ₦10 million fine or two years imprisonment, or both, for offenders.
For the 2027 general elections, the deadline for submission of membership registers lapsed on May 10, 2026, before most party primaries were concluded.
The impact became apparent during the All Progressives Congress(APC) primaries, where at least, 12 serving senators failed to secure return tickets.
The affected lawmakers include Senators Gbenga Daniel (Ogun East), Diket Plang (Plateau Central), Emmanuel Udende (Benue North-East), Titus Zam (Benue West), Olubiyi Fadeyi (Osun Central), and Ned Nwoko (Delta North).
Also affected are Senators Neda Imasuen (Edo South), who defected to the APC from the Labour Party but lost the APC primary election for his constituency; Benson Agadaga of Bayelsa East and Garba Maidoki of Kebbi South, among others.
In previous election cycles, lawmakers who lost primaries routinely defected to rival parties to secure fresh tickets ahead of the general elections.
Under the new framework, such moves are no longer legally viable unless the lawmaker’s name was already included in the alternative party’s register submitted to INEC before the May 10 deadline.
The provision has divided affected politicians into two groups: those who registered with alternative parties well ahead of the primaries as a contingency, and those who did not and now have no legal pathway to appear on the ballot in 2027.
No fewer than 70 APC lawmakers in both chambers of the National Assembly will not return in 2027 after losing primary contests, with many unable to pursue their ambitions on other platforms due to the new law.
Opposition parties and political leaders have rejected aspects of the amended Electoral Act, describing provisions on primaries and membership registers as a threat to internal party democracy and electoral competition.
Supporters of the law argued that it strengthens party discipline, curbs opportunistic defections and ensures that only genuine, registered members can contest elections on a party’s platform.
The Electoral Act 2026 was signed into law by President Bola Tinubu in February 2026. The situation is no less different at the Green Chambers, as the House of Representatives, where the purge hit the House hard, with “over 60 lawmakers on the platform of the APC” losing return bids.
“Some lost due to incompetence, while others were caught off guard by consensus or zoning arrangements,” the report said. “Yet, some have lost favour with their godfathers or the governors, who are calling the shots.” Majority Leader, Julius Ihonvbere, Edo, is locked in a disputed primary with Andrew Ijegbia.
While the presiding officer declared Ijegbia the winner with 3,695 votes, Ihonvbere’s camp claimed 4,729 votes. “Only the National Assembly Election Appeal Committee or the NWC of the party can decide the candidate,” the report noted.
Deputy Chief Whip Ibrahim Isiaka, Ogun, lost to ex-Commissioner Motunrayo Adeleye after rejecting a zoning plea. In Rivers, Reps Boma Goodhead and Awaji-Iniombek Abiante, both loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, were disqualified.
“Her support for the governor earned her a red card from the Rivers APC controlled by the FCT Minister,” the report said of Goodhead. Benue Reps, Dickson Tarkighir, Terseer Ugbor, Austin Achado, David Ogewu, and Sekav Iyortyom all lost, largely due to the Alia-Akume feud.
“Since President Tinubu had ceded the power to conduct primaries to the governor, Rev. Fr. Alia decided to take his pound of flesh,” the report stated. “Many of the results are being contested, and some who were initially reported to have lost have bounced back and vice versa,” it concluded.
