Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that eight of the fourteen associations earlier prequalified for political party registration have successfully met the requirements to advance to the next phase of the registration process.
Gatekeepers News reports that this development follows the commission’s earlier screening, in which only 14 of the 171 associations that applied for registration met the initial eligibility criteria.
The remaining 157 failed to satisfy the stipulated conditions under the Electoral Act 2022 and INEC’s guidelines.
In a statement on Thursday, Sam Olumekun, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, said the successful associations had completed the online submission of all required documents and details.
He said, “As of Saturday, 19th October 2025, eight (8) out of the fourteen (14) prequalified associations successfully completed the upload of all necessary information and documentation.”
The cleared associations are 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 Peoples Freedom Party (PFP).
Olumekun explained that the next stage will involve a comprehensive verification and assessment of the documents and structures of each association to ensure full compliance with constitutional and legal provisions.
This includes verification of their national offices, membership registers, governing constitutions, and evidence of functional offices across at least two-thirds of Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as required by law.
He emphasised that INEC remains committed to transparency, inclusivity, and the strengthening of Nigeria’s democratic system. Olumekun said, “The Commission will continue to uphold the principles of fairness, openness, and adherence to due process in all its engagements.”
According to reports, All Democratic Alliance (ADA) is being positioned by some opposition elements as a possible coalition platform ahead of 2027 general elections, before African Democratic Congress (ADC) was eventually adopted as a unifying alternative.
INEC is expected to release its findings from the verification stage before making a final decision on which associations will be formally registered as political parties.
