Dual party membership: Reps propose N10m fine, 2-year jail term
*Electoral Act amendment The House of Representatives has amended the Electoral Act 2026 to criminalise dual membership of political parties, prescribing a fine of N10 million or a maximum of two years imprisonment for offenders. The amendment, contained in a bill seeking to strengthen provisions on political party membership, was passed during plenary, after lawmakers considered it at the committee of the whole. The legislation introduces three new subsections to Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2026, which deals with political party membership, making it unlawful for any individual to belong to more than one political party at the same time. Under the new provision, any person found to be registered in more than one political party simultaneously will have such membership declared void. “A person shall not be registered as a member of more than one political party at the same time,” the provision stated. It further provided that where it was established that where a person held dual m...