… Judicial Challenges Loom As Disqualified Groups Protest Decision
… African Alliance Party, Democratic Leadership Alliance Move To Final Registration
Daud Olatunji
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has sparked fresh controversy in Nigeria’s political landscape by approving only two associations ; the African Alliance Party (AAP) and the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), for the final stage of political party registration, PLATFORM TIMES can report.
The decision, which effectively excludes six other associations that had cleared earlier screening phases, has raised concerns over transparency and due process in the electoral umpire’s handling of party registrations.
The party registration exercise, which began months ago, attracted widespread interest. INEC initially received 110 letters of intent in June 2025, a number that later rose to 171 submissions following additional applications.
After an initial screening, INEC granted provisional approval to 14 associations in September.
The list included the African Transformation Party, All Democratic Alliance, Advance Nigeria Congress, Abundance Social Party, AAP, Citizens Democratic Alliance, DLA, Grassroots Initiative Party, Green Future Party, Liberation People’s Party, National Democratic Party, National Reform Party, Patriotic Peoples Alliance, and Peoples Freedom Party.
By October, eight associations, ADA, CDA, ASP, AAP, DLA, GFP, NDP, and PFP—had been shortlisted for the final stage.
However, sources familiar with the procews said that only AAP and DLA satisfied INEC’s final assessment, leaving the remaining six groups disqualified.
Disqualification Sparks Outrage
Documents sighted by PLATFORM TIMES indicate that INEC cited compliance lapses, including discrepancies in address details, as reasons for rejecting some applications.
One affected association challenged the claim, stating that it had formally updated its registered address on INEC’s portal and had exchanged correspondence with the commission.
“INEC officials even carried out physical verification at the new location without raising any objection at the time,” a source within the group said.
Another disqualified association accused INEC of disowning previously submitted documents, claiming that “everything we presented is no longer in their records.”
Some of the affected groups have approached the courts, seeking judicial review of INEC’s decision—a move that could further test the credibility of the party registration process.
Efforts to obtain official INEC comment on the complaints were ongoing as of press time.
If upheld, the commission’s ruling will leave Nigeria with only two new political parties out of the over 170 hopeful associations that initially applied.
The development is expected to fuel debate over inclusiveness, regulatory standards, and political pluralism ahead of future elections.
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