August 10, (THEWILL) — In a move that may significantly reshape the political landscape ahead of the 2027 general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission,INEC, on Thursday commenced the shortlisting of associations that have met the criteria to advance to the next stage of registration as political parties.
Stating that the applications have risen to 151, the commission’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, said the shortlist of successful associations will be made public immediately after the August 16 by-elections.
“Since the fourth update released on July 23, 2025, the commission has received eight more letters of intent from associations seeking registration as political parties, bringing the total to 151.
“Having created the portal for party registration, the commission has commenced shortlisting associations that meet the requirements to proceed to the application stage. Details will be released immediately after the by-elections in 12 states scheduled for Saturday, August 16, 2025,” Olumekun said.
Since the Commission first announced the applications publicly, barely two months ago, the number has climbed up speedily, first from 102 to 122 and then suddenly last week, to I51.
The list includes associations that are linked to aspiring presidential candidates, some of whom are from political parties that are so crisis ridden that even the verdict of the Supreme Court on party supremacy in resolving disputes has not helped matters, as the judgement has been interpreted subjectively by the combatants.
Notable examples in this regard are the proposed parties, the All Democratic Alliance, ADA and the Obidient Peoples Party, OPP, and the Progressive Obidient Party, POP. While ADA is said to be linked to a coalition of prominent political figures like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex- Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, the OPP and POP are linked to Peter Obi, Labour Party leader.
Although Abubakar, El-Rufai, Amaechi, alongside Obi have adopted the existing African Democratic Congress, ADC, as their coalition platform for the 2027 poll, analysts say the registration of ADA and OPP or POP could unfold a new scenario as some of the prominent coalition partners like Atiku and Obi are yet to formally join the ADC.
Atiku resigned his membership of the PDP a fortnight ago. Obi’s LP is still factionalised with Julius Abure and Senator Nenadi Usman each heading factions. The crisis in the LP was underscored by INEC last week when it rejected candidates on the Abure-led platform for the upcoming by-elections across the country.
Registration of either the OPP or POP would give Obi a new platform as the Obidient Movement is said to be experiencing frustration in merging seamlessly into the ADC structure. The Movement is said to be spreading fast across the country, having registered members in wards and units in 23 states of the country.
Though with the coming of ADC, the polity may be said to have three strong parties for now, registration of OPP or POP may add the number to five and create a multi-party climate that would significantly change the political landscape and bury for ever the so-called political understanding that compels parties to adopt the North/South principle in choosing presidential candidates. That understanding was adopted by politicians at the beginning of the current democratic dispensation, but it has proven to be an expediency that ignored the geopolitical configuration of the country.
Meanwhile, INEC, which announced that all the applicants will be screened according to laid down legal and procedural requirements, also identified many violations in the submitted applications.
For example, many of the associations used identical names and in some other cases, duplicated associations, while others have no interim chairman and national secretary as well as logo, all of which violates the commission’s guidelines.
Three applications—New Green Generation Party, New Green Congress and New Green Coalition Party— reportedly listed the same individuals, Mallam Idris Abdulkarim and Ambassador Crystal Ikechukwu Ogu, as Protem National Chairman and Secretary, respectively.
INEC also reportedly found out that the Republican Party of Nigeria submitted two separate applications, each with different leadership and addresses.
“One was led by Col. Vincent Enemoma Abu and Buhari Yakubu with an office in Mabushi, Abuja, while the other, led by MD Coma and Chief Abu Ali, listed an address behind Utako Market. Some applications had acronyms similar to those of previously deregistered parties and a number of submissions were made by legal representatives or conveners without including the names of party officers, contrary to INEC’s regulations,”
Some of the applicants are All for All Congress, Peoples Democratic Alliance, United Youths Party of Nigeria, Peoples Liberations Party, Democratic Union for Progress, Citizen Democratic Alliance, Africa Action Group, Patriot Alliance Network, Democratic Leadership Party, Pink Political Party, Young Motivation and Awareness for Development Forum, Access Party, and Young Progressive Empowerment Initiative.
Others include the Republican Party of Nigeria, Sceptre Influence Party, Young Democratic Congress, Patriotic Nigeria Party, Far Right Party, Democratic Peoples Party, United Citizens Congress, Reset Nigeria, New Nigeria Democratic Party, Save Nigeria People Party, Above All, Alliance for Youth and Women and Rebuild Nigeria Group.
Still some of the applications are composed of Citizens Progressive Party, Guardian Party, Abiding Greatness Party, Patriotic Party, Development and Freedom Party, Peace, Unity and Prosper Culture, The Populist, New Nigeria Leadership Party, All Allies Alliance, National Action Network, Coalition for Nigerian Democrats, Abundance Africa Alliance, Free Will Humanitarian Party, People’s Emancipation Party, Peoples Liberations Congress Party, and Peoples Democratic Congress.
Still in the list are Key of Freedom Party, Absolute Congress, All Grassroot Party, Congress Action Party, United Social Democrats Party, National Action Congress, New Nigeria Congress, United People’s Victory Party, Allied Conservative Congress, Peoples Freedom Party, Abundant Social Party, All Nigeria’s Party, Citizens Party of Nigeria, National Freedom Party, Patriots Party, and Movement of the People.
Peoples National Congress, Alliance of Patriots, African Union Congress, Socialist Equality Party, About Nigeria Party, Africa Reformation Party, Accelerated Africa Development Association, Obedient People’s Party, Zonal Rescue Movement, Zuma Reform, Party for Socialist Transformation, Liberation Peoples Party, Progressive Obedient Party, and Great Nigeria Party, make the list under consideration by INEC.
Other applicants are National Youth Alliance, National Reform Party, Patriotic Congress Party, Community Alliance Party, Grassroot Alliance Party, Advance Nigeria Congress, All Nigerians Alliance, All Labour Party, Team New Nigeria, About All Nigeria, Nigeria Liberty Movement, National Democratic Party, and Citizen United Congress.
Additional proposed parties include All Gender Party, Polling Units Ambassadors of Nigeria, Village Intelligence Party, Great Transformation Party, Alliance Social Party, Nigeria Democratic Alliance, New National Democratic Party, Nourish Democratic Peoples Congress, All Youth Reclaim Party, Marina Multipurpose Cooperative Society, Alliance Youth Party of Nigeria, The True Democrats, Democratic People’s Congress, National Democratic Movement, Economic Liberations Party, and Grassroot Ambassadors Party.
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