The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has registered two new political parties, the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), as preparations intensify for the 2027 General Election.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, announced the development in Abuja on Thursday during the commission’s first regular consultative meeting with political parties in 2026.
Amupitan explained that the registration process followed a rigorous screening exercise involving 171 associations that applied for recognition as political parties.
“You will recall that the commission received a total of 171 letters of intent from associations seeking registration as political parties,” he said.
He noted that the applications were assessed in line with Sections 222 and 223 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Sections 75 and 79 (1), (2) and (4) of the Electoral Act, 2022, as well as Clause 2 of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022.
According to the INEC chairman, only 14 associations met the initial prequalification requirements and were invited to proceed to the next stage, out of which eight successfully uploaded their documents on the commission’s portal.
“Following final assessment and verification, only the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) was found to have fully complied with all statutory requirements. Accordingly, the commission has approved its registration as a political party, effective February 5, 2026,” Amupitan said.
He added that the commission also approved the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in compliance with an order of the Federal High Court directing INEC to register the party.
“The commission has decided to comply with the court order, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress is hereby registered as a political party. Certificates of registration will be issued to the two new political parties in due course,” he stated.
Amupitan cautioned political parties against internal leadership crises and excessive litigation, warning that such practices undermine public confidence in the electoral process and distract the commission from its core mandate.
He also urged parties to mobilise eligible voters to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the February 10 deadline, while reiterating INEC’s zero-tolerance stance on vote buying.
The INEC chairman further disclosed that the commission would soon commence a nationwide voter revalidation exercise to clean up the voters’ register, stressing that a credible register remains the foundation of free, fair and transparent elections.
Meanwhile, the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) congratulated Amupitan on his appointment and urged INEC to remain firm, impartial and transparent as the country moves toward the 2027 General Election.
IPAC also called for the harmonisation of Nigeria’s electoral legal framework ahead of the polls and demanded that real-time transmission of election results to the IReV portal be made mandatory.
