The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has registered two new political parties, the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) ahead of the 2027 general election, increasing the total number of registered political parties in the country to 21.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, announced the development on Thursday during the Commission’s first regular consultative meeting with political parties.
According to Amupitan, the DLA successfully emerged from a rigorous verification process, while the NDC was registered in compliance with an order of the Federal High Court.
Despite the expansion of Nigeria’s political landscape, the INEC chairman expressed concern over persistent leadership crises within several political parties, describing them as a threat to constitutional democracy.
“Our collective commitment to the integrity of the electoral process is being challenged by the unfortunate and increasingly frequent leadership disputes within political parties,” Amupitan said.
Read Also:
APC is a Living Party, Ganduje Says as Kano Govt Joins Ruling Platform
INEC Finalises Timetable for 2027 General Elections
Why the Killing of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi Matters for Libya
He noted that such conflicts often result in protracted litigations that overburden the judicial system and distract the Commission from its core responsibilities, including voter mobilisation and election management.
“Sometimes, one wonders whether it is even necessary to continue registering or retaining some political parties, given the recurring leadership struggles and court orders recognising different individuals as party leaders,” he added.
Amupitan also lamented the steady decline in voter turnout during presidential elections, revealing that participation dropped from 53.7 per cent in 2011 to 43.6 per cent in 2015, further declining to 34.7 per cent in 2019 and hitting a record low of 26.7 per cent in the 2023 general election.
He stressed that technology alone could not address voter apathy, noting that public trust is often undermined by perceptions of poor democratic dividends and doubts about the value of citizens’ votes.
INEC also reaffirmed its readiness to conduct the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections scheduled for February 21, 2026, with 1,680,315 registered voters expected to participate across 2,822 polling units.
Looking ahead, the Commission confirmed preparations for the Ekiti State governorship election slated for June 20, 2026, and the Osun State governorship election scheduled for August 8, 2026.
To safeguard the integrity of upcoming elections, INEC announced plans to conduct a nationwide Voter Revalidation Exercise aimed at cleaning up the voters’ register of 93.4 million entries by removing duplicate and deceased records.
In his remarks, the National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Dr Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, urged INEC to maintain neutrality and strictly adhere to party constitutions to avoid perceptions of bias.
Dantalle also renewed calls for major electoral reforms, including the abolition of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) and the empowerment of INEC to conduct all elections nationwide.
He further advocated for mandatory real-time transmission of election results to the IReV portal and suggested that all elections be held on the same day to reduce costs, prevent bandwagon effects and curb voter fatigue.