The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced on Thursday that 14 associations have been cleared to move to the next stage of their applications for registration as political parties in Nigeria.
Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, disclosed this after the commission’s meeting, noting that INEC received 171 applications in total.
He explained that each application was assessed against Section 222 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Section 79 of the Electoral Act 2022, and Clause 2 of INEC’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,” Olumekun stated, adding that the decision has been communicated to the groups.
The cleared associations 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), and Peoples Freedom Party (PFP).
INEC has invited interim chairmen and secretaries of these associations to a briefing scheduled for Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at its Abuja headquarters, where physical verification of claims will follow.
The commission emphasized that final registration will only be confirmed after due verification, while reiterating that political party registration remains a continuous process under the law.
What You Should Know
INEC has cleared 14 associations to advance in their bid to register as political parties, narrowing down from 171 applications. These groups will undergo physical verification before final approval.
This process reflects INEC’s legal responsibility to ensure only credible associations meet Nigeria’s constitutional and electoral requirements for party registration.
