INEC rejects 157 applications, shortlists 14 associations for political party registration

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that 14 associations have scaled through the first stage of the process for registration as political parties.

INEC made this known via a statement issued by its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, after the commission’s regular meeting held in Abuja on Thursday, September 11, 2025.

The associations are African Transformation Party (ATP), All Democratic Alliance (ADA), Advance Nigeria Congress (ANC), Abundance Social Party (ASP), African Alliance Party (AAP), Citizens Democratic Alliance (CDA), and Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA).

Others include 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), and Peoples Freedom Party (PFP).

Olumekun revealed that the meeting reviewed preparations for the forthcoming off-cycle governorship elections and the end-of-tenure Area Council election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as well as the report of the Committee on the Review of Letters of Intent from associations seeking registration.

Olumekun stated that INEC received 171 applications for registration, saying each application was evaluated based on compliance with Section 222 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Section 79 of the Electoral Act 2022, and the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties 2022.

“Out of the total number of applications received, 14 associations have met the requirements to proceed to the next stage while 157 have not,” he said.

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Olumekun added that the list of the 14 pre-qualified associations has been published on INEC website and other official platforms.

Olumekun noted that the interim chairmen and secretaries of the shortlisted associations have been invited to a briefing at INEC headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, September 17, 2025.

He further stated that the next step would involve physical verification of all claims made by the associations, in line with the commission’s regulations.

The INEC official added: “The final determination of the registrability of the associations as political parties will be made after the physical verification of all their claims to determine compliance with the legal framework.

“We wish to reiterate that party registration is a continuous process under the law. The Commission remains open to the consideration of applications that meet the criteria as provided by law.”

The Star