Reps Amend Electoral Act, Criminalise Dual Party Membership with N10m Fine, Jail Term

|By Chinwendu Nwani

The House of Representatives of Nigeria has amended the Electoral Act 2022 to criminalise dual membership of political parties.

Under the new provision passed during Wednesday’s plenary, any individual found belonging to more than one political party at the same time will face a fine of N10 million upon conviction.

Lawmakers also introduced a maximum prison sentence of two years for offenders, tightening regulations around political party affiliation in the country.

The amendment was adopted by the Green Chamber as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral framework and discourage political practices considered detrimental to party discipline and electoral integrity.

With the new provision, dual party membership will now constitute a criminal offence once the amendment is fully enacted into law.