- Safiu Kehinde
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially confirmed registered two new political parties, bringing the total number of registered parties in Nigeria to 21.
This was announced by INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, during the commission’s quarterly consultative meeting with political party leaders in Abuja on Thursday.
The newly registered party include the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
While DLA was registered after fully meeting all constitutional and legal requirements under the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Electoral Act 2022, and INEC guidelines, the NDC was registered in compliance with a Federal High Court order from Lokoja, Kogi State.
In his address, Amupitan revealed that out of 171 associations that applied for registration, only 14 were pre-qualified, 8 uploaded required documents, and just two qualified for final assessment with DLA succeeding on merit and NDC via court directive.
The INEC chairman said the certificates of registration will be presented to both parties soon.
Meanwhile, Amupitan urged political parties to resolve internal disputes through dialogue, warning that ongoing conflicts and litigation could undermine Nigeria’s electoral process ahead of future elections.