Prior to the general elections in 2027, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has resisted growing criticism on how it has handled the registration of new political parties.
The electoral commission reportedly emphasized that adherence to legal and constitutional requirements is non-negotiable.
The commission strongly advised the public to ignore internet rumors declaring it had registered two new parties, the Independent Democrats and the Peoples Democratic Movement, in a statement released on Wednesday.
To be clear, no new parties have been registered by the commission as of yet. Nigeria currently has 19 registered political parties. “Nothing has been added,” INEC said on its official đ account.
According to INEC, the two political parties in question were among the 72 deregistered in February 2020, in accordance with Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution, despite having been registered in August 2013.
INEC Warns of “No Registration by Blackmail”
INEC emphasized that the party registration procedure is a legal, not political, exercise in response to pressure from different political leaders and coalitions requesting registration.
“Groups that applied to register as political parties should submit authentic, verifiable documents and comply with all requirements for registration instead of trying to blackmail INEC with baseless accusations,” stated Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
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He restated that the commission values the caliber of applications over their volume and that only those that completely adhere to constitutional requirements will be accepted, according to The PUNCH.
He went on to say, “The number of applications that the commission receives is not as important as the number of applicants that can successfully satisfy the criteria for registration.”
Political stakeholders have accused INEC of purposely delaying the registration of new parties, which has led to the commission’s stance.
Rotimi Amaechi, the former minister of transportation, charged that the INEC chairman was impeding opposition initiatives. Speaking on Arise TV, he stated: “We wouldn’t have won if the current INEC chairman had served as INEC’s chairman in 2015.” God bless Jega, please. Jega made it easier for us to register APC, and we met all the requirements. The current man would not register you if you complied with all of things.
Seun Kuti, an activist and musician who is the leader of Movement of the People, a political organization based on the legacy of his father, Fela Kuti, also criticized INEC’s actions.
“Since 2018, 72 political parties have been deregistered in Nigeria, and no new parties have been registered. According to a statement from Kuti, “this harsh restriction restricts citizens’ political choices and undermines true democratic representation.”
Both APC leader Salihu Lukman and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal have expressed disapproval of INEC’s stance.
INEC Specifies Difficult Requirements for Party Registration
In his interview with The PUNCH, Oyekanmi listed all of the requirements associations must fulfill in order to be granted party recognition under the 2022 Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties.
They consist of:
submitting a letter of intent no later than 12 months before to the main election.
payment of a processing charge.
submission of documents online using an INEC-issued access code.
These documents are necessary:
Constitution and manifesto of the proposed party.
proof that the headquarters in Abuja are being occupied legally.
a member list including names, addresses, and contact details.
an affidavit from the secretary or chairman attesting to the documents’ legitimacy.
Evidence that the National Executive Committee (which consists of representatives from the FCT and at least 24 states) upholds the Federal Character principle.
“An application shall be invalidated if it is found at any point during the registration process that the same group of people submitted multiple applications or that any part of the submission is false,” Oyekanmi cautioned.
He guaranteed that applicants will receive regular updates on the progress of their submissions within the allotted time frame.
INEC emphasized that it will continue to conduct all election matters with transparency and integrity and that its actions are strictly dictated by the law.
The statement stated that the commission is still dedicated to following the constitution in every election procedure.
