The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that eight political associations have successfully completed the initial stage of the political party registration process, while six others were disqualified for failing to meet the required criteria.
The development was confirmed in a statement issued on Thursday by Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee.
According to Olumekun, the commission reviewed the progress of the ongoing registration exercise during its regular meeting held on 30 October 2025, following an earlier update released on 11 September.
A total of 14 associations had been pre-qualified to participate in the process, which began with a briefing session on 17 September 2025. INEC subsequently opened a dedicated online portal for the submission of documents from 18 September to 18 October.
By 19 October, eight associations had successfully uploaded all required documentation. These include:
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All Democratic Alliance (ADA)
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Citizens Democratic Alliance (CDA)
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Abundance Social Party (ASP)
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African Alliance Party (AAP)
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Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA)
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Green Future Party (GFP)
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National Democratic Party (NDP)
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Peoples Freedom Party (PFP)
Olumekun stated that the next phase of the process would involve a comprehensive verification and assessment of all submitted documents to determine compliance with the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Electoral Act 2022, and INEC’s 2022 Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties.
“The next step in the registration process is the detailed assessment and verification of the information and documents submitted by each association,” the statement read. “This will ensure conformity with all legal and regulatory provisions.”
Reaffirming the commission’s position, Olumekun said, “INEC remains committed to inclusivity, transparency, and the deepening of Nigeria’s democratic culture.”
The electoral body disclosed that it had received a total of 171 letters of intent from various associations seeking registration as political parties before shortlisting the 14 that entered the pre-qualification phase.
