The Independent National Electoral Commission has announced that an additional 19 associations have indicated their intention to register as political parties in anticipation of the 2027 general elections, raising the total number of letters of interest received to 171. The commission announced in a statement by Mr. Sam Olumekun, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of
The Independent National Electoral Commission has announced that an additional 19 associations have indicated their intention to register as political parties in anticipation of the 2027 general elections, raising the total number of letters of interest received to 171.
The commission announced in a statement by Mr. Sam Olumekun, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information & Voter Education Committee, that it has started reviewing pre-qualified groups for the next registration stage.
The statement advised the association to follow procedures, noting that some aspiring political parties are already changing their identities and stakeholders due to internal defections before registration.
He said the commission will treat all association applications fairly and urged them to follow instructions to support the process.
The statement reads, “Since our last update on the number of associations seeking registration as political parties, 19 more letters of intent have been received, bringing the total so far to 171 as of yesterday, 3rd September 2025. Details of the latest update are uploaded to our website and other official platforms for public information.
“As earlier announced by the Commission, a shortlist of the pre-qualified associations is being finalised for the next stage of application for registration. The committee reviewing the letters of intent has prepared its recommendations for final consideration by the Commission.
We wish to appeal to all the associations that submitted letters of intent to remain patient as we finalise the process.
“We also urge them to avoid frequent changes to their logos, acronyms and addresses or one association submitting multiple requests. Worse, some associations have changed their interim leadership, following defections to other associations or even existing political parties, thereby delaying the process.
We wish to reassure the associations that the Commission will treat all applications fairly while urging them to assist the process by remaining consistent. As always, the Commission will continue to communicate with Nigerians on all its activities”.
The commission is processing registrations for new political parties and has begun shortlisting associations eligible to apply.
This event occurred shortly after allegations were made that the commission was hindering the efforts of new opposition parties in their attempts to participate in the 2027 elections against the All Progressives Congress.
Former Rivers State governor and transport minister Rotimi Amaechi publicly criticised the electoral commission for preventing the formation of a party intended as the opposition’s coalition platform. The group later chose the African Democratic Congress to challenge President Tinubu in the next election.
INEC responded to the allegation by stating that it would not register new political parties unless constitutional and regulatory requirements are met. The commission also noted the need for all intending political parties to comply with existing laws and procedural requirements before making declarations regarding their status.
INEC initially received 110 applications from associations seeking political party registration, followed by additional applications on later dates.
