The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has registered two new political parties and officially added them to the existing 18 parties.
This was disclosed by the commission’s chairman, Joash Amupitan, on Thursday during INEC’s first regular consultative meeting with political parties in Abuja.
The newly registered parties are the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Amupitan said the registration followed a rigorous assessment process after INEC received 171 letters of intent from associations seeking recognition as political parties.
He explained that 14 associations scaled the initial pre-qualification stage, while only eight successfully uploaded their documents on the commission’s dedicated portal.
After final assessment and verification, INEC found that only the DLA met all constitutional and Electoral Act requirements. The NDC, he added, was registered in compliance with a court order from the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State.
Certificates of registration will be presented to the two parties in due course.
“Of these, eight successfully uploaded their documents on the commission’s dedicated portal,” he said.
“They are 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).
“Out of the eight above, only two qualified for final assessment and verification of due compliance with the constitution and the Electoral Act.
“Accordingly, the commission has decided to register the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) as a political party.
“The Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi state, in suit No. FHC/LKJ/CS/49/2025 between Barr Takori Mohammed Sanni & Ors v. INEC ordered the commission to register Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party.
“The commission has decided to comply with the order and it is being registered as a political party. Certificate of Registration will be handed over to the two new political parties in due course.”
