House of Reps Moves to Sanction Dual Party Membership, Proposes N10m Fine, Two-Year Jail Term in Electoral Act Amendment

By Inalegwu Osemi

The House of Representatives has moved to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral laws with a proposed amendment to the Electoral Act 2022 aimed at penalising politicians who maintain membership in more than one political party.
Under the proposed amendment, any elected public office holder or political office seeker found to be holding dual party membership could face a fine of N10 million, a two-year prison sentence, or both upon conviction.

The amendment bill, which was debated during plenary, is intended to reinforce internal party discipline and protect the integrity of Nigeria’s democratic process. Lawmakers observed that the increasing trend of politicians associating with multiple parties simultaneously weakens party structures and fuels political instability.
According to the provisions of the bill, individuals who knowingly maintain allegiance to more than one political party while contesting elections or occupying public office would be considered to have committed an electoral offence.
Sponsors of the legislation argued that the measure would help curb political opportunism and ensure that elected officials remain accountable to the political platforms through which they were elected.
The lawmakers also stressed that the amendment aligns with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, which recognises political parties as the legitimate platforms for contesting public offices.
They maintained that enforcing strict penalties for dual party membership would promote transparency, discipline, and stability within the political system.
Political analysts say the move, if eventually passed into law, could significantly reshape party politics in Nigeria by discouraging political defections carried out without due process.
The proposed amendment is expected to undergo further legislative scrutiny before being transmitted to the Senate for concurrence and subsequently forwarded to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for assent.