No New Parties Registered — INEC Dismisses Pressure for Approvals

Amid growing criticism regarding its management of new political party registrations in advance of the general elections in 2027, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has retaliated.
According to reports, the electoral authority emphasized that adherence to legal and constitutional requirements is unavoidable.
The commission strongly advised the public to ignore internet rumors that it had registered two new parties, the Independent Democrats and the Peoples Democratic Movement, in a statement released on Wednesday.

To be clear, the commission has not yet registered any new parties. There are now 19 political parties that are officially recognized in Nigeria. INEC announced via its official 𝕏 Twitter that nothing had been added.

In accordance with Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution, INEC stated that both of the aforementioned political groups were among the 72 deregistered in February 2020 after having been initially registered in August 2013.

“No Blackmail Registration” – INEC Issues a Warning
INEC emphasized that the process of party registration is a legal, not political, one in the face of pressure from different political leaders and coalitions registering.

According to Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, “groups that applied for registration as political parties should submit authentic, verifiable documents and comply with all requirements for registration rather than trying to blackmail INEC with unfounded accusations.”

He reaffirmed that the commission values the caliber of applications over their volume and that only those that completely adhere to constitutional requirements will be accepted, according to The PUNCH.

The number of candidates who are able to effectively meet the requirements for registration is more significant than the quantity of applications the commission gets, he continued.

INEC’s stance follows accusations from political players that the agency is purposefully delaying new party registration.

The INEC Chairman was accused by former Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi of impeding opposition initiatives. “We wouldn’t have won if the current INEC chairman had been INEC’s chairman in 2015,” he stated in an interview with Arise TV. May Jega be blessed by God. Jega made the registration process easier for us, and we met all the requirements. If you meet all of these requirements, the present man will not register you.

The leader of Movement of the People, a political organization influenced by the legacy of his father, Fela Kuti, is musician and activist Seun Kuti, who also criticized INEC’s actions.

Seventy-two political parties have been deregistered in Nigeria since 2018, and no new ones have been registered since then. True democratic representation is undermined by this harsh restriction, which restricts citizens’ political options, Kuti said in a statement.

Concerns regarding INEC’s stance have also been expressed by APC leader Salihu Lukman and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal.

INEC Describes Strict Requirements for Party Registration
According to the 2022 Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, Oyekanmi described the extensive requirements associations must fulfill in order to obtain party recognition in his comments to The PUNCH.

Among them are:

A letter of intent must be submitted at least 12 months prior to the main election.

The administrative cost is paid.

online document submission using an INEC-issued access code.

Documents that are needed include:

The constitution and manifesto of the proposed party.

Proof of a legitimate occupation of the Abuja headquarters.

a member list that includes addresses, phone numbers, and names.

The chairman or secretary’s affidavit attesting to the documents’ legitimacy.

Evidence that the Federal Character concept is upheld by the National Executive Committee, which is composed of representatives from the FCT and at least 24 states.

Oyekanmi cautioned, “An application shall be invalidated if it is found at any point during the registration process that the same group of people submitted multiple applications or that any part of the submission is false.”

He promised to provide applicants with regular updates on the progress of their applications within the allotted time frame.

INEC emphasized that all of its acts are strictly governed by the law and that it will continue to handle all election affairs in an honest and open manner.

It declared, “The commission is steadfast in its commitment to respecting constitutional provisions in all electoral processes.”