The Independent National Electoral Commission has registered two additional political parties in Nigeria.
The development has brought the total number of registered political parties in the country to 21.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja during the commission’s quarterly consultative meeting with leaders of political parties.
The newly registered parties are the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Amupitan explained that while DLA emerged as the only association approved from the 171 groups that applied for registration, the NDC was registered in compliance with a court order.
He recalled that the commission received 171 letters of intent from associations seeking recognition as political parties.
According to him, the applications were evaluated in line with Sections 222 and 223 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), Sections 75 and 79(1), (2) and (4) of the Electoral Act, 2022, as well as Clause 2 of INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022.
“Consequently, 14 associations that satisfied the initial pre-qualification were invited to proceed to the next stage. Of these, eight successfully uploaded their documents on the commission’s dedicated portal.
“They are the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), Citizens Democratic Alliance (CDA), Abundance Social Party (ASP), African Alliance Party (AAP), Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), Green Future Party (GFP), National Democratic Party (NDP) and the Peoples Freedom Party (PFP).
“Out of the eight above, only two qualified for final assessment and verification of due compliance with the Constitution and the Electoral Act.
“After due consideration, only the Democratic Leadership Alliance was found to have complied fully with the requirements of the law.
“Accordingly, the commission decided to register the DLA as a political party, effective from today, Feb. 5, 2025.
“Furthermore, the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi, in Suit No. FHC/LKJ/CS/49/2025 between Barr Takori Mohammed Sanni & Ors v. INEC ordered the commission to register Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party.
“The commission has decided to comply with the order and is being registered as a political party. Certificate of Registration will be handed over to the two new political parties in due course,” the INEC chairman stated.
Amupitan, however, raised concerns over the growing trend of cross-carpeting among political actors and advised party leaders to embrace dialogue and internal mechanisms for resolving disputes in order to promote unity within their parties.
