The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has registered two new political parties namely: Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as political parties.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, announced the development on Thursday during the commission’s first regular consultative meeting with political parties held in Abuja.
Amupitan explained that the registration followed a rigorous screening and verification process initiated after the commission received 171 letters of intent from political associations seeking recognition as registered parties.
According to him, only 14 of the applicant associations met the requirements for the initial pre-qualification stage.
Of that number, eight successfully uploaded the required documents on INEC’s dedicated registration portal.
The eight associations, he said, were the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), Citizens Democratic Alliance (CDA), Abundance Social Party (ASP), African Alliance Party (AAP), Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), Green Future Party (GFP), National Democratic Party (NDP) and the Peoples Freedom Party (PFP).
Amupitan stated that after a thorough review and verification of compliance with constitutional and Electoral Act provisions, only two associations advanced to the final stage of assessment.
“Out of the eight, only two qualified for final assessment and verification of due compliance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act,” he stated.
The INEC chairman said the Democratic Leadership Alliance emerged as the only association that fully met all legal and administrative requirements at the end of the process.
“Accordingly, the commission has decided to register the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) as a political party,” Amupitan said.
He further disclosed that the Nigeria Democratic Congress was also granted registration, not through the administrative process, but in compliance with a court order.
Amupitan explained that the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, in Suit No. FHC/LKJ/CS/49/2025, between Barr. Takori Mohammed Sanni, and others versus INEC, ordered the commission to register the NDC as a political party.
“The commission has decided to comply with the court order, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) is therefore being registered as a political party,” he said.
He added that INEC would formally present Certificates of Registration to the two newly-registered political parties in due course.
The development increases the number of registered political parties in the country to 21 amid ongoing debates on electoral reforms and the role of political parties in strengthening Nigeria’s democratic process.
