Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has revealed that the commission has received letters of intent from 110 associations seeking registration as political parties ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
Yakubu made the disclosure on Wednesday during INEC’s second quarterly consultative meeting with media executives in Abuja. He said that, as of June 23, 2025, the commission had acknowledged nearly all requests and was processing them in line with legal procedures and established guidelines.
“As of Monday, 23rd June 2025, the Commission has received letters of intent from 110 associations that wish to register as political parties. We are diligently processing the requests… We have acknowledged all requests received so far except six of them received recently, which will be done before the end of the week,” Yakubu said.
He reassured stakeholders of INEC’s impartiality, emphasizing that all associations will be treated equally, regardless of the status of their promoters. “We will treat all requests fairly, be they from ordinary or prominent citizens,” he stated, dismissing allegations of bias or compromised independence, which he compared to similar claims made in 2013.
Yakubu added that a complete list of the 110 associations — including proposed names, acronyms, contact addresses, and details of their protem officers — would soon be published on INEC’s website and social media platforms for transparency.
In a related development, Yakubu announced that INEC is now ready to conduct pending by-elections and resume the nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR). “The commission met yesterday and we are finalising the details… which will be made public in the next 24 hours,” he said.
Turning to other electoral matters, Yakubu highlighted ongoing primaries for the Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which are scheduled to conclude by June 30. Elections will be held in 68 constituencies, including chairmanship and deputy positions across six Area Councils and 62 wards. Full details of the FCT delimitation are available on INEC’s website.
The Anambra State Governorship election, scheduled for November 8, 2025, was also addressed. Yakubu noted that political campaigns began on June 11 and will run until November 6. He urged media professionals to apply early for accreditation to ensure smooth coverage of the electoral process.
“I wish to appeal to you to promptly upload your applications for accreditation of media personnel for the Anambra State governorship election as soon as the portal opens,” Yakubu concluded, while appreciating the media for their continued partnership with the commission.
What you should know
INEC has received 110 applications from groups seeking party registration ahead of 2027, and it’s preparing for by-elections, voter registration, and the Anambra governorship election.
The commission has pledged transparency and fairness in processing all requests and urged media participation for election coverage.
