INEC Receives 91 Applications For New Political Parties Amid 2027 Election Preparations

INEC Gets Flooded With Applications for New Political Parties

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has just announced that it's been hit with a staggering 91 applications from groups looking to set up new political parties. This comes as the country gears up for the 2027 general elections, and it's creating quite a stir in Nigeria's political landscape. The submissions have sparked a flurry of reactions from the top political players, each with their own take on the situation.

Naija News has been keeping a close eye on this unfolding drama. These applications are rolling in as INEC ramps up its preparations for the big elections ahead. But what do the major parties think about this influx of new hopefuls?

Reactions From the Big Players

Now, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has chimed in with its thoughts. They see the flood of applications as a sign of disunity among opposition leaders. It’s like everyone wants to start their own team, but nobody’s really working together. Meanwhile, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) sees things a little differently. They argue that this is proof of the ruling All Progressives Congress’s (APC) shortcomings. It’s like they’re saying, “Hey, look at all these people trying to step up because the APC isn’t cutting it.”

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On the other side of the aisle, the Labour Party is throwing its support behind the new applicants but is urging INEC to give each one a thorough once-over before giving them the green light. They want to make sure these groups are legit and not just jumping on the bandwagon for the wrong reasons. Meanwhile, the APC is pointing fingers at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, claiming he's behind this whole thing. They’re pretty confident in their chances for 2027, so they’re not losing any sleep over it.

Accusations of Delays and Deregistration

But here’s the kicker: some opposition factions are accusing INEC of intentionally dragging its feet when it comes to registering these new parties. They think INEC is trying to stack the deck in favor of the APC ahead of the general elections. A key voice in this debate is Salihu Lukman, a prominent member of the opposition coalition and former National Vice Chairman of the APC for the North-West. He’s warning that political parties who didn’t secure a seat in the last general elections could be headed for deregistration.

Lukman is pointing out that navigating the complex world of political parties is no easy task. He says some coalition members have been working on this for over a year, and it’s been a real uphill battle. He also mentioned that some groups within the coalition have already filed applications to register their own parties. But for some reason, INEC seems to be making things tough for them. “The only conclusion we can draw is that INEC has decided not to register new parties,” Lukman bluntly stated.

Do More Parties Really Help the Opposition?

Fast forward to March 20, 2025, and presidential hopefuls Atiku Abubakar (PDP), Peter Obi (Labour Party), and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai announced a coalition to take on President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections. But here’s the thing: do all these new parties really help the opposition’s cause? That’s the big question on everyone’s mind.

INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, chimed in during an interview with The PUNCH, stating that no applications have been rejected so far. INEC’s Election and Parties Monitoring Department echoed this, saying, “No application was rejected. We have received 91 as of today.” But not everyone’s convinced.

Timothy Osadolor, the Deputy National Youth Leader of the PDP, believes that opposition leaders don’t need a ton of parties to take down the APC. What they need is one strong, united platform. He thinks all these new applications are a waste of time and resources. “It shows a major disconnect among opposition leaders. You don’t need 500 parties, or even 20, to defeat the APC. All you need is one formidable opposition party to challenge them and empower those who can run the country,” Osadolor emphasized.

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Hard Truths and Necessary Conversations

Osadolor went on to say that opposition leaders need to have some tough conversations. “What do we really want? Do we want to be known as official figures, or do we want to be known as martyrs for democracy in Nigeria? Or do we want to be those who brought progressive change to Nigerians?” he asked. He believes that once these questions are answered, the next step is figuring out how to achieve those goals. “Do we need three platforms, four, five? The opposition leaders need to sit down and address all these issues instead of registering more parties,” he stressed.

Coalition Sees an Opportunity

The NNPP’s National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, sees the influx of new applications as both an indictment of the ruling party and an advantage for the coalition. He believes it shows the level of awareness generated by the APC’s mismanagement of the country. Johnson said, “We welcome more participation by Nigerians. Those who have decided to form new parties might even be encouraged to join forces with existing ones. It’s not a threat to us. In fact, it could bring more people together to provide an alternative to the APC.”

Democracy Thrives on Inclusion

The Labour Party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, affirmed that any group has the right to submit an application to INEC. He emphasized that INEC’s job is to assess these applications and determine if they meet the criteria to become official political parties. “This is democracy. We advocate for inclusivity in the registration process. If they qualify, why not? At one point, Nigeria had nearly 90 political parties. It’s within their rights to transition from associations to full-fledged parties,” Ifoh stated.

He added, “The registration of political parties is not a threat to any organization or party. The more, the merrier. A diverse political environment can only strengthen democracy.”

A Multiparty System Strengthens Democracy

Mark Adebayo, the National Spokesperson for the Coalition of United Political Parties, argued that limiting the number of political parties could harm democratic principles. He pointed out that countries like the UK and the US have hundreds of registered parties, even though only a few are prominent. “The fewer the political parties, the fewer the chances of opposition forces coming together to challenge the status quo,” Adebayo said.

He believes that a more diverse political landscape could strengthen the opposition and pose a significant challenge to the APC. “If more parties are registered, they can form coalitions to contest against the APC, just like the APC itself was formed from smaller parties that ousted the PDP in 2015,” he explained.

Is More Always Better?

Rufus Aiyenigba, the National Publicity Secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), echoed the sentiment that more parties could be a good thing. “We are in a democracy. The more, the merrier. What matters most is sanitizing the electoral system. The number of parties doesn’t really matter; it’s the commitment to democratic ideals that counts,” he said.

But not everyone agrees. APC Publicity Director Bala Ibrahim believes that unsuccessful politicians are behind the push for new parties, trying to stay relevant. He dismissed Atiku’s efforts, saying, “Atiku Abubakar has only won one election in his lifetime but has lost more than six. He’s a serial loser who can’t keep the APC awake at night. Even if he registers more parties, it won’t change anything. The APC is not threatened by the number of applications INEC has received.”