Dare Babalola
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has registered two new political parties, the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), as it prepares for the 2027 General Election.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, announced the decision in Abuja on Thursday at the commission’s first regular consultative meeting with political parties for 2026.
Amupitan explained that only DLA met all statutory requirements after a rigorous screening of 171 associations that sought registration.
“You will recall that the commission received a total of 171 letters of intent from associations seeking registration as political parties. The associations were assessed in line with Sections 222 and 223 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (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,” Amupitan said.
He added that of the 171, only 14 associations satisfied the initial prequalification and were subsequently invited to proceed to the next stage.
Eight successfully uploaded their documents on the commission’s dedicated portal, with only two qualifying for final assessment and verification of due compliance with the Constitution and the Electoral Act.
“After due consideration, only the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) was found to have complied fully with the requirements of the law. Accordingly, the Commission has decided to register the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) as a political party, effective from today, 5th February 2026,” Amupitan announced.
INEC also decided to comply with a Federal High Court order directing the registration of NDC.
“The commission has decided to comply with the order and is being registered as a political party. Certificate of Registration will be handed over to the two new political parties in due course,” he said.
Amupitan warned parties against internal leadership squabbles and excessive litigation, emphasizing that these issues erode public trust and divert the commission from its primary mandate.
He also called on parties to mobilise supporters to collect their Permanent Voter Cards before the February 10 deadline and warned against vote buying.
The INEC chairman disclosed that a nationwide voter revalidation exercise will soon begin to clean up the register, emphasizing that a credible register of voters remains the bedrock of free, fair and transparent elections.
The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) congratulated Amupitan on his appointment and urged INEC to remain firm, impartial and transparent as Nigeria heads toward the 2027 General Election.
IPAC also called for the harmonisation of Nigeria’s electoral legal framework ahead of 2027 and for real-time transmission of results to the IReV portal mandatory.
