ABUJA, Sept 11 (The African Portal) — Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared 14 associations to proceed to the next stage of the registration process as political parties, in line with the country’s constitution.
The Commission said it received 171 applications for registration, out of which only 14 were approved to advance.
“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,” INEC stated in a release dated September 11.
“Out of the total number of applications received, 14 associations have met the requirements to proceed to the next stage, while 157 have not. The Commission shall officially communicate the decision arising from today’s meeting to all the associations in the next 24 hours,” said Sam Olumekun, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman.
INEC further disclosed that it has published the list of the 14 pre-qualified associations on its website.
Olumekun emphasized that party registration remains a continuous process under the law, adding that the Commission “remains open” to considering applications that meet the legal requirements.
He noted that the interim Chairmen and Secretaries of the pre-qualified associations are invited to a briefing on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
