The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared 14 political associations to proceed to the next stage of their applications for registration as political parties in Nigeria.
This was disclosed on Thursday by Sam Olumekun, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, following the Commission’s management meeting in Abuja.
Olumekun revealed that INEC had received a total of 171 applications from various associations seeking registration. Each application, he explained, was carefully reviewed based on compliance with Section 222 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Section 79 (1, 2, and 4) of the Electoral Act 2022, and Clause 2 (i & ii) of INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022.
“Out of the total applications, 14 associations met the requirements to advance to the next stage, while 157 did not. The Commission will officially notify all associations of the outcome within 24 hours. For public information, the names of the 14 pre-qualified associations have also been published on INEC’s website and official platforms,” Olumekun stated.
The 14 associations cleared include:
African Transformation Party (ATP)
All Democratic Alliance (ADA)
Advance Nigeria Congress (ANC)
Abundance Social Party (ASP)
African Alliance Party (AAP)
Citizens Democratic Alliance (CDA)
Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA)
Grassroots Initiative Party (GRIP)
Green Future Party (GFP)
Liberation People’s Party (LPP)
National Democratic Party (NDP)
National Reform Party (NRP)
Patriotic Peoples Alliance (PPA)
Peoples Freedom Party (PFP)
INEC has invited the interim chairmen and secretaries of the pre-qualified associations to a crucial briefing scheduled for Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at its national headquarters in Abuja.
During the session, the Commission will outline the next steps, which include uploading mandatory information to INEC’s portal and undergoing physical verification of claims made by each association.
This process, Olumekun stressed, will determine their full compliance with the law before any final decision on registration is made.
INEC reiterated that political party registration is a continuous process under Nigerian law. The Commission remains open to receiving and processing fresh applications from associations that satisfy the legal requirements.
Earlier in June 2025, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed that the Commission had acknowledged over 100 letters of intent from aspiring political groups. As of June 23, INEC confirmed receiving 110 applications, with six more pending acknowledgment at the time.
Yakubu urged interested groups to carefully study the INEC Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties (2022), available on the Commission’s website, to ensure their applications meet the prescribed standards.
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