By Ayodele Oni

There is apprehension and fear over registration of new political parties by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following report that only two out of 14 associations which seek registration have been cleared.

Although, there is yet to be official position by the Electoral body on this, but it was learnt that INEC cleared only two political associations—the African Alliance Party (AAP) and the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA)—to proceed to the final stage of political party registration,.

The development follows months of screening after INEC announced in June 2025 that it had received letters of intent from 110 associations seeking registration as political parties. By early September, the number of applicants had risen to 171 following additional submissions.

On September 11, INEC granted provisional approval to 14 associations, namely the African Transformation Party (ATP), All Democratic Alliance (ADA), Advance Nigeria Congress (ANC), Abundance Social Party (ASP), African Alliance Party (AAP), Citizens Democratic Alliance (CDA), Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA),.

Others are Grassroots Initiative Party (GRIP), Green Future Party (GFP), Liberation People’s Party (LPP), National Democratic Party (NDP), National Reform Party (NRP), Patriotic Peoples Alliance (PPA), and Peoples Freedom Party (PFP).

In October, the commission further shortlisted eight associations—ADA, CDA, ASP, AAP, DLA, GFP, NDP and PFP—for the next phase of the registration process, citing compliance with constitutional and statutory requirements.

Multiple sources familiar with the process disclosed to TheCable, that INEC has now disqualified six of the eight shortlisted groups after its final assessment, leaving only AAP and DLA cleared to advance.

“Only AAP and DLA have been cleared to move forward. The remaining six associations were disqualified for failing to meet INEC’s final requirements,” one source familiar with the screening process said.

One of the affected associations shared a rejection letter with TheCable, in which INEC cited issues relating to the group’s address as part of the reasons for disqualifying its application. The letter was signed by the commission’s secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony.

The association, however, disputed INEC’s position, insisting that it had formally notified the electoral body of a change of address and duly uploaded the updated details on INEC’s portal.

“INEC officials also carried out physical verification at the new location without raising objections at the time,” a source from the association said.

Another member of one of the disqualified groups accused the commission of denying receipt of documents previously submitted during the registration process.

“They said even all the things that our party presented, they [INEC] don’t have them,” the source said.

By Ayodele Oni

The All Democratic Alliance (ADA), one of the political groups seeking registration, has threatened to challenge in Court the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),  over its refusal to register it as a political party.

The party maintained that it satisfied all conditions precedent to such registration and  confident that justice, according to its motto, shall ultimately prevail.

ADA, in a statement on Thursday by its national publicity secretary, Leye Igbabo, stated that “it is utterly dismayed by the blatant refusal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register it as a political party, having fulfilled all the requirements needed for such registration.”

ADA was one of the 172 associations that applied to be registered as political parties and was among the eight associations that were finally shortlisted by the INEC.

The party revealed that “On Friday 5th December 2025, the Association received a letter from INEC intimating it of its readiness to conduct a verification exercise on the following Monday 8th December 2025.

“Even though the notice was short and suspicious, all members of the NEC across the entire Nigeria, made themselves available for the verification exercise which took place on that Monday 8th December 2025.

“INEC apologized for the very short notice and equally hailed our level of preparedness for the verification exercise. Our National Office at Abuja is well located and equipped for the convenience and comfort of both NEC members and any visitors.

“As we speak today, all the 36 State chapters of the Association have been opened for political activities.

“Throughout the registration exercise and up to the day of the verification, there was never any time that INEC complained about any information not supplied to it. All information were supplied within the stipulated time frame and which INEC did acknowledge accordingly.

“We therefore find the denial by the INEC as not only rude, crude, brazen and predetermined but also highly ominous, calamitous and disastrous to the survival of our hard earned democracy.

“We patriotically call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) to rein in his agencies which are becoming stumbling blocks to the sustenance of democratic project in Nigeria. Our hard-earned democracy must be allowed to flourish in the overall interest of the public.

“While we acknowledge the right of any public office holder to seek a second term in office, such ambition must be based on good performance score card and not muzzling of opposition parties or denying registration of new ones that can avail the electorate the opportunity to choose their preferred representatives. The hard-earned democracy must not be sacrificed on the altar of personal ambition.

“This level of gangsterism did not even surface during the tenures of the Military General-turned politicians. We are deeply worried that our democracy is now faltering and heading towards a huge rock under the ruling party.

“However, the All Democratic Alliance has resolved to challenge INEC in the competent court of law over its refusal to register it as a political party, having satisfied all conditions precedent to such registration and we are confident that justice, according to its motto, shall ultimately prevail.

“We invite the attention of all stakeholders including operators of governments, INEC, law courts to be deliberate, conscious and intentional in sustaining the fledgling democratic project by playing their roles patriotically as solemnly assigned by the constitution.

“Otherwise, the democratic system may hit the rock and the consequences, as we should know, would be a monumental disaster that is rare in the annals of Nigeria’s chequered political history.”