The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that it has received no fewer than 110 applications from political associations seeking registration as political parties in Nigeria.
INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, made this known on Wednesday during the Commission’s second regular consultative meeting with media executives, held at its headquarters in Abuja.
Providing an update on the status of the applications, Yakubu explained that all but six of the submissions had been acknowledged and were being processed in line with the Electoral Act and INEC’s 2022 Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties.
Reacting to speculations suggesting the Commission was hesitant or partial in handling the registration process, Yakubu firmly rejected the claims, describing them as “unfounded and misleading.”
“Clearly, one of the topical issues on election administration in our country today is the status of the letters of intent we received from associations seeking registration as political parties amidst partisan insinuations in some quarters that the Commission is equivocating on the matter in a manner that compromises our independence,” he said.
“Nothing can be further from the truth,” he continued, recalling similar accusations in 2013 when INEC faced criticism over the merger of opposition parties.
Yakubu reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to transparency and due process, saying: “We will treat all requests fairly, irrespective of the status of their promoters — be they ordinary or prominent citizens.”
He further noted that the current Commission registered the highest number of political parties in Nigeria’s history, with 91 parties participating in the 2019 general elections alongside 73 presidential candidates—a development that generated both commendation and criticism.
Following the 2019 elections, over 70 political parties were deregistered for failing to meet constitutional requirements and performance benchmarks.
“As of Monday, 23rd June 2025, the Commission has received letters of intent from 110 associations that wish to register as political parties,” Yakubu disclosed. “We have acknowledged all requests received so far, except six of them received recently, which will be done before the end of the week.”
He advised interested groups and the general public to consult the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties (2022), available on INEC’s official website, for detailed information on the registration process.
