By Musa Ahmed
Abuja – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared 14 political associations to move to the next stage of registration as political parties, while dismissing 157 others that failed to meet preliminary requirements.
The disclosure was made in a statement issued on Thursday evening by INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr. Sam Olumekun.
Among those shortlisted are the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), National Democratic Party (NDP), and Advanced Nigeria Congress (ANC).
Olumekun explained that the Commission, during its meeting of Thursday, September 11, 2025, considered reports from its Committee on the Review of Letters of Intent submitted by associations seeking registration.
He noted that INEC received a total of 171 applications, all of which were assessed in line with 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.
“Out of the total applications, 14 associations met the requirements to proceed to the next stage, while 157 did not. The Commission will officially communicate its decision to all associations within 24 hours,” Olumekun said.
He added that the list of pre-qualified associations has been published on INEC’s website and other official platforms. Their interim chairmen and secretaries are expected to attend a briefing on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
According to him, the next stage will involve physical verification of the claims submitted by each association to ensure full compliance with the legal framework. The final determination of their registrability will be made after this verification.
Olumekun further stressed that party registration is a continuous process, and INEC remains open to applications that meet the requirements stipulated by law.
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