The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disqualified six political associations seeking registration as political parties, citing failure to meet constitutional and administrative requirements.
According to a statement from INEC’s National Commissioner for Information, Sam Olumekun, the affected groups failed to provide verifiable membership registers, functional offices in at least two-thirds of the states, and valid constitutions as stipulated under Section 225 of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022.
The commission said the move aligns with its mandate to ensure that only credible and structurally sound political organizations participate in Nigeria’s democratic process. “We will not approve political platforms that exist only on paper or social media,” Olumekun said.
The disqualification brings to 19 the total number of groups denied registration in the past year. Political analysts say the decision underscores INEC’s effort to curb the proliferation of “briefcase parties” that lack genuine structures or ideology.
However, some of the affected groups have threatened legal action, arguing that the commission is suppressing political diversity. Civil society groups have called for greater transparency in the registration process to ensure fairness.
INEC maintains that the action is part of ongoing reforms ahead of the 2027 general elections, emphasizing the need to sanitize Nigeria’s political landscape.