The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has disclosed that 110 associations have formally applied to be registered as new political parties in the country.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, made the revelation during the second quarterly consultative meeting with media executives held in Abuja on Wednesday.
Speaking at the meeting, the INEC boss dismissed allegations suggesting that the Commission was deliberately stalling the registration process, describing such claims as “partisan insinuations and completely unfounded.”
“As at Monday, 23rd June 2025, the Commission has received letters of intent from 110 associations that wish to register as political parties.
“We are diligently processing the requests in line with the procedure outlined in the law as well as our Regulations and Guidelines,” he stated.
He said that all but six of the applications have already been acknowledged, and the remaining will be processed before the end of the week.
Prof. Yakubu statef that for public transparency, the Commission has released the full list of the 110 associations, including their proposed names, acronyms, contact details, and the names of their protem chairmen and secretaries.
The list is now available on the Commission’s website and social media platforms, according to him.
He reiterated its commitment to transparency and impartiality in handling the applications.
“We will treat all requests fairly irrespective of the status of their promoters, be they ordinary or prominent citizens.
“Nigerians will be fully briefed of the actions taken by the Commission every step of the way,” he stressed.
The development comes amid two major electoral activities.
The first is the on-going political party primaries for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, set to conclude on June 30.
The second is the build-up to the Anambra State Governorship election scheduled for Saturday, November 8, 2025.
Yakubu urged media organisations to apply early for accreditation ahead of the Anambra poll, saying timely processing would ensure smooth coverage of the election.
In addition, the INEC chairman announced that the Commission was finalising arrangements to resume the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise and to conduct outstanding bye-elections.
Further details are expected to be released within the next 24 hours, he said.
