The Independent National Electoral Commission disclosed that it has approved the registration of two new political parties, the Democratic Leadership Alliance and the Nigeria Democratic Congress, as it intensifies preparations for the 2027 General Election.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, announced the decision in Abuja on Thursday at the commission’s first regular consultative meeting with political parties for 2026.
There are 18 registered political parties in the country following the last registrations before the 2023 general elections.
Giving a detailed narration of how the commission arrived at its decision, Amupitan said only DLA met all statutory requirements after a rigorous screening of a total of 171 associations that sought registration.
“You will recall that the commission received a total of 171 letters of intent from associations seeking registration as political parties.
“The associations were assessed in line with Sections 222 and 223 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), Sections 75 and 79(1), (2) and (4) of the Electoral Act, 2022, as well as Clause 2 of the commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022,” Amupitan said.
He added that of the 171, only 14 associations satisfied the initial prequalification and were subsequently invited to proceed to the next stage.
