The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that 14 associations have scaled the first hurdle in the process of becoming registered political parties.
In a press statement issued on Thursday, September 11, and signed by Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman, Information & Voter Education Committee, the Commission revealed that it received a total of 171 requests for registration.
According to the statement, “Each request was assessed on the basis of its prima facie compliance with the provisions of Section 222 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), Section 79 (1, 2 and 4) of the Electoral Act 2022 and Clause 2 (i and ii) of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties 2022.”
The Commission disclosed that while 14 associations met the requirements to advance to the next stage, 157 others did not.
“The Commission shall officially communicate the decision arising from today’s meeting to all the associations in the next 24 hours,” the statement read.
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INEC further explained that the names of the successful groups have been published on its website and official platforms for public information.
It also invited the interim leaders of the shortlisted associations for a briefing scheduled for Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at its headquarters in Abuja.
“In addition to uploading the required information to the portal, the Commission will physically verify all claims by each association in line with our Regulations and Guidelines,” the statement added.
The Commission noted that the final decision on whether the associations will be fully registered as political parties would be taken after physical verification to confirm compliance with legal requirements.
INEC also stressed that political party registration remains an open and ongoing process under Nigerian law.
“We wish to reiterate that party registration is a continuous process under the law. The Commission remains open to the consideration of applications that meet the criteria as provided by law,” the statement concluded.