The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved the registration of two new political parties, increasing the total number of registered parties in Nigeria to 21 ahead of the 2027 general election.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, made the announcement on Thursday during the Commission’s first regular consultative meeting with political parties for 2026, held at INEC headquarters in Abuja.
The newly registered parties are the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Amupitan said the approvals followed a rigorous evaluation process conducted in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Electoral Act 2022, and INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties.
According to him, the Commission received 171 letters of intent from associations seeking registration as political parties. Following an initial screening, 14 associations were prequalified to advance to the next stage, while only eight successfully uploaded the required documents on INEC’s designated portal.
The eight associations were 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, only two qualified for final assessment and verification of full compliance with the Constitution and the Electoral Act,” Amupitan said.
He explained that the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) met all legal requirements and was consequently approved for registration, effective February 5, 2026.
Amupitan further disclosed that the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) was registered in compliance with a court order issued by the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, in Suit No. FHC/LKJ/CS/49/2025.
He added that certificates of registration would be issued to the two parties in due course.
The INEC chairman warned political parties against persistent internal leadership disputes, noting that frequent litigations were diverting the Commission’s attention from its core responsibility of conducting free, fair and credible elections.
He urged party leaders to promote internal democracy, dialogue and transparency as the country prepares for multiple elections in 2026 and the 2027 general election.
