2027: Dual party membership not yet a crime -Itodo

The Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo has said that there is a different between dual membership of individuals on one hand and dual nomination of a candidate by two political parties or a party nominating a candidate for two different elective positions.

He said this on a statement titled ‘The Legal Position on Dual Party Membership’.

According to him, in March 2026, Nigeria’s House of Representatives passed an amendment to the 2026 Electoral Act seeking to criminalize dual membership of political parties, prescribing a penalty of a N10 million fine and/or two years’ imprisonment.

“For the avoidance of doubt, this proposed provision remains inchoate, as it is not yet law. For the amendment to have legal effect, it must also be passed by the Senate and subsequently receive presidential assent.

“As of now, the Senate has not passed the amendment. Therefore, while dual party membership may be politically questionable or discouraged by party rules, it is not currently a criminal offence under Nigeria’s existing legal framework.

“What the law expressly prohibits, however, is dual nomination. A political party cannot nominate a candidate for more than one elective position in the same election cycle, and an individual cannot be nominated as a candidate by more than one political party for the same election,” Itodo said.

Speaking afterwards on a television programme, the Yiaga Africa boss said it is unacceptable for an individual to be a member of two political parties.

He reiterated that the law is clear that when it comes to the nomination of candidates, a candidate cannot be presented by two political parties, just as a political party cannot also nominate one candidate for two offices.