The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved the registration of two new political parties — the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) — as part of its preparations for the 2027 General Election.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, announced the decision on Thursday in Abuja during the Commission’s first regular consultative meeting with political parties for 2026.
With the latest approvals, the number of registered political parties in Nigeria has increased from 18, following the last round of registrations before the 2023 general elections.
Rigorous Screening Process
Prof. Amupitan explained that the Commission received 171 letters of intent from associations seeking registration as political parties. These applications were subjected to a thorough screening process in line with relevant constitutional and electoral provisions.
The assessment was conducted based on Sections 222 and 223 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Sections 75 and 79 of the Electoral Act, 2022, as well as INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022.
Out of the 171 associations, only 14 met the initial prequalification criteria and were invited to advance to the next stage. Of these, eight associations successfully uploaded their documents on INEC’s portal.
They included the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), Citizens Democratic Alliance (CDA), Abundance Social Party (ASP), African Alliance Party (AAP), Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), Green Future Party (GFP), National Democratic Party (NDP) and the Peoples Freedom Party (PFP).
Following final assessment and verification, only the Democratic Leadership Alliance fully complied with all statutory requirements and was consequently approved for registration, effective 5 February 2026.
Court-Ordered Registration of NDC
The INEC Chairman also disclosed that the Commission registered the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in compliance with a Federal High Court order issued in Lokoja, Kogi State.
The court, in Suit No. FHC/LKJ/CS/49/2025, directed INEC to register the party, a decision the
Certificates of registration will be formally presented to both parties in due course.
Warning on Internal Party Crises and Vote Buying
Amupitan warned political parties against internal leadership disputes and excessive litigation, describing them as distractions that undermine public confidence and weaken democratic institutions.
He urged party leaders to prioritise dialogue, policy development and community engagement over factional conflicts.
The INEC Chairman also cautioned against vote buying, stressing that the practice subverts the democratic process and violates the law.
“Any individual or group found engaging in vote buying will face the full weight of the law,” he warned.
PVC Collection and Voter Register Clean-Up
On voter participation, Amupitan called on political parties to mobilise supporters to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) before the 10 February deadline for the ongoing distribution in the Federal Capital Territory.
He further revealed that INEC has finalised the timetable for the 2027 elections and will soon commence a nationwide voter revalidation exercise to clean up the voters’ register.
According to him, anomalies such as duplicate entries and non-citizen registrations undermine electoral credibility and must be eliminated.
IPAC Calls for Impartiality and Electoral Reforms
In his remarks, Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) National Chairman, Dr Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, congratulated Amupitan on his appointment and urged INEC to remain firm, impartial and transparent.
He emphasised that INEC’s credibility would once again be judged by its independence and adherence to the law ahead of 2027.
Dantalle also urged INEC to strictly recognise party executives in line with party constitutions to reduce leadership crises and litigation, while encouraging political parties to adopt IPAC’s internal dispute-resolution mechanisms.
On electoral reforms, IPAC called on the National Assembly to fast-track amendments to the Electoral Act, including making real-time transmission of results to the IReV portal mandatory.
He further advocated the scrapping of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) and proposed that INEC conduct all elections nationwide to ensure consistency, reduce costs and curb voter fatigue.
