INEC Shortlists 14 Of 171 Associations For Next Stage Of Political Party Registration

Abuja, Nigeria– The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that 14 associations have successfully scaled the first hurdle in the process of becoming registered political parties in Nigeria.

In a statement issued on Thursday, by National Commissioner and Chairman, Information & Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, the Commission disclosed that it received a total of 171 applications from groups seeking registration.

According to INEC, each application was assessed in line with the provisions of Section 222 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Section 79 of the Electoral Act 2022, and Clause 2 of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties 2022.

Of the applications reviewed, 14 associations met the requirements to proceed to the next stage, while 157 failed to satisfy the legal criteria.

Meanwhile, the names of the successful groups have been published on INEC’s website and official platforms.

INEC further explained that the next phase will involve uploading the required information to its portal, followed by a physical verification of all claims by each association to confirm compliance with the law.

However, the final determination of their eligibility as political parties will be made after the verification process.

The Commission emphemphasised  party registration is a continuous process under the law and assured that it remains open to considering applications from associations that meet the constitutional and legal requirements.

The statement read, “The Commission held its regular meeting today, Thursday 11th September 2025. In addition to reviewing our preparations for forthcoming off-cycle governorship elections and the end-of-tenure Area Council election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the meeting also considered the report of its Committee on the Review of Letters of Intent from associations seeking registration as political parties.

“A total of 171 requests for registration were received. 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.

“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.

“Meanwhile, the list of the 14 pre-qualified associations has been published on our website and other official platforms for public information.”

According to the commission, “The interim Chairmen and Secretaries of the pre-qualified associations are invited to a briefing on Wednesday 17th September 2025 at 11am at the Commission’s Headquarters in Abuja.

“In addition to uploading the required information to the portal, the will physically verify all claims by each association in line with our Regulations and Guidelines.

“The final determination of the registrability of the associations as political parties will be made after the physical verification of all their claims to determine compliance with the legal framework.

“We wish to reiterate that party registration is a continuous process under the law. The Commission remains open to the consideration of applications that meet the criteria as provided by law,” INEC added.