The Independent National Electoral Commission has dramatically narrowed Nigeria’s crowded political party registration field, clearing only two associations — the African Alliance Party and the Democratic Leadership Alliance — for the final stage of registration, PLATFORM TIMES has learnt.
The decision effectively knocks out six other associations that had earlier scaled through multiple screening stages, raising fresh concerns over transparency and due process in the electoral umpire’s handling of party registration.
INEC’s move comes months after it opened the registration window to political associations. In June 2025, the commission announced it had received 110 letters of intent from groups seeking recognition as political parties. That number later rose to 171 following additional submissions.
After an initial screening, INEC, on September 11, granted provisional approval to 14 associations. They included the African Transformation Party, All Democratic Alliance, Advance Nigeria Congress, Abundance Social Party, African Alliance Party, Citizens Democratic Alliance, Democratic Leadership Alliance, Grassroots Initiative Party, Green Future Party, Liberation People’s Party, National Democratic Party,
National Reform Party, Patriotic Peoples Alliance and Peoples Freedom Party.
By October, the commission further shortlisted eight groups — ADA, CDA, ASP, AAP, DLA, GFP, NDP and PFP — saying they had met constitutional and statutory requirements to proceed.
However, sources familiar with the latest phase of the exercise told PLATFORM TIMES that only AAP and DLA eventually satisfied INEC’s final assessment, leading to the disqualification of the remaining six associations.
Disqualification sparks controversy
Documents obtained by PLATFORM TIMES show that INEC cited compliance lapses, including discrepancies in address details, as reasons for rejecting some of the applications.
One of the affected associations said the commission, in a letter signed by its Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, faulted its registered address.
The group, however, rejected the claim, insisting it had formally notified INEC of a change of address, uploaded the new information on the commission’s portal and exchanged subsequent correspondence using the updated details.
“INEC officials even carried out physical verification at the new location without raising any objection at the time,” a source within the association said.
Another member of a disqualified group accused the commission of disowning documents earlier submitted and acknowledged.
“They said they don’t have any of the documents we presented. Everything we submitted, according to them, is no longer in their records,” the source said.
PLATFORM TIMES gathered that some of the affected associations have approached the courts, seeking judicial review of INEC’s decision, a move that could further test the credibility of the party registration process.
Efforts to get INEC’s official reaction to the complaints were ongoing as of press time.
If upheld, the commission’s decision would leave Nigeria with only two new political parties after a process that began with over 170 hopeful associations , a development likely to fuel debate about inclusiveness, regulatory standards and political pluralism ahead of future elections.
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