The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reportedly advanced only two political associations to the final stage of registration as full political parties in Nigeria, after disqualifying six others that failed to meet final regulatory requirements.
The associations cleared to proceed are the African Alliance Party (AAP) and the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), marking a narrowing of the field ahead of the next general election cycle. The development follows an extensive screening process during which INEC received letters of intent from around 110 associations in June 2025, a number that later rose to about 171 applicants after additional submissions.
INEC had previously pre-qualified 14 associations in September and further shortlisted eight in October based on compliance with statutory requirements. However, after detailed assessment and verification of documentation, only AAP and DLA met all constitutional and regulatory thresholds necessary to advance toward full party status, according to officials familiar with the process.
Sources familiar with the commission’s work said the six disqualified groups stumbled on final requirements, including issues related to statutory documentation and regulatory compliance, though some parties disputed the determinations and said they had submitted required information during the screening process.
INEC has not yet issued an official public statement on the latest round of clearances and disqualifications. The final registration decisions could reshape Nigeria’s political landscape by introducing new legal parties ahead of the 2027 general elections, potentially boosting political inclusivity and competition.
