Author: Gist Correspondent

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has registered two new political parties, bringing the total number of registered political parties in Nigeria to 21.

The INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja during the commission’s quarterly consultative meeting with leaders of political parties.

According to him, the newly registered parties are the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

Amupitan explained that the DLA emerged as the only association that fully met the constitutional and legal requirements out of 171 associations that applied for registration, while the NDC was registered in compliance with a court order.

He recalled that INEC received 171 letters of intent from associations seeking registration as political parties and subjected them to rigorous assessment in line with the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Electoral Act, 2022, and the commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties.

Out of the 171 associations, 14 passed the initial pre-qualification stage and were invited to proceed further, while eight successfully uploaded their documents on INEC’s dedicated portal. The eight included 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 Peoples Freedom Party (PFP).

Amupitan said only two of the eight associations qualified for final assessment and verification, and after due consideration, only the Democratic Leadership Alliance was found to have fully complied with all statutory requirements.

“Accordingly, the commission decided to register the Democratic Leadership Alliance as a political party, effective from today, February 5, 2025,” he said.

He further disclosed that the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, in Suit No. FHC/LKJ/CS/49/2025 between Barr. Takori Mohammed Sanni & Ors v. INEC, ordered the commission to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress as a political party.

“The commission has decided to comply with the court order, and the NDC is hereby registered as a political party. Certificates of registration will be issued to the two parties in due course,” Amupitan added.

Meanwhile, the INEC chairman expressed concern over rising internal disputes and leadership crises within political parties, warning that frequent infighting undermines democracy and burdens the judicial system with avoidable litigation.

He said such disputes often distract INEC from its core mandate of conducting free, fair and credible elections, while also eroding public trust in the political process.

Amupitan urged party leaders to embrace dialogue, transparency and internal cohesion, stressing that strong and united party leadership is essential for democratic growth.

“As an independent body, INEC remains neutral, but we urge political parties to prioritise constructive engagement over divisive conflicts, focus on policy development and community engagement, and uphold the principles of fair play and mutual respect,” he said.