No Association Has Met Legal Requirements for Political Party Registration — INEC
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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has clarified that while numerous associations have expressed interest in registering as political parties, none has fulfilled the legal prerequisites required for official recognition.
The electoral body dismissed recent media reports suggesting that a new political party, the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), had been formally registered.
According to INEC, no association has yet satisfied the conditions stipulated by law for political party registration.
INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr. Sam Olumekun, said that although the Commission has received many letters of intent, none of these submissions qualifies as a formal application for registration.
“The truth is that we have received numerous letters of intent, but none of them constitutes an application,” “An association must first meet the minimum criteria before even submitting a letter of intent.”Olumekun stated.
This clarification comes amid growing speculation that the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), a political platform reportedly backed by several prominent opposition politicians, had already taken steps to secure INEC’s recognition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The ADA has recently emerged as a proposed alternative political coalition, allegedly supported by influential political figures such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Governors Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna) and Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), former Senate President David Mark, and the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Although no formal party structure or public announcement has been made, the coalition is reportedly working behind the scenes to build a broad-based political movement aimed at unseating the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the upcoming election cycle.
Responding to the speculation, INEC reiterated that there are no shortcuts to party registration.
The Commission noted that all associations seeking political party status must strictly adhere to the procedures outlined in the 2022 Electoral Act and INEC’s internal regulations.
According to INEC, the registration process begins with the submission of a formal letter of intent. This is followed by a series of rigorous verification and compliance procedures. Among the key requirements for registration are:
Submission of a proposed party name, acronym, and symbol
Provisional approval confirming availability and suitability of the name and symbol
Payment of administrative fees and completion of Form EC 15A(1)
Upload and submission of founding documents, including the party constitution, manifesto, title deed of headquarters, and a verified register of members
Demonstrated compliance with the federal character principle, showing that the party’s national executive committee includes representatives from at least 24 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
Once all documents are submitted, INEC conducts further verifications, including physical inspections of the party’s headquarters and confirmation of the identities of proposed officers. Only after full compliance will a certificate of registration be issued.
“No association, by whatever name called, shall be registered as a political party unless it submits the required documents to the Chairman of the Commission, which shall then be subjected to administrative scrutiny to ensure conformity.”it stated.
Furthermore, the Commission warned that registration will be denied if any association fails to meet the stipulated requirements or is found to have submitted false or misleading information. Such violations may also result in legal prosecution under the Electoral Act.
