The Independent National Electoral Commission, on Wednesday, said it received letters of intent from 110 associations seeking registration as political parties.
However, the commission raised red flags over many of the applications due to what it called issues of clashing names, missing leadership details, and irregular submissions that do not meet the requirements for party registration in Nigeria. The full list of the 110 proposed parties was posted on INEC’s official website and shared across its social media channels.
Among the proposals are several with names and acronyms that are nearly identical, creating the risk of confusion among voters and violating existing INEC registration guidelines. Some names also bear similarities to deregistered parties, while others lack essential details such as party leadership, addresses, or even a party logo.
One proposed group, the All Democratic Alliance, is believed to be backed by political heavyweights including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi. Meanwhile, another party application with a closely related name is said to be supported by individuals aligned with Peter Obi, the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party. This raised concerns at INEC due to the similarity in party identities and potential for voter confusion.
INEC noted that some applications violated its rules by using identical acronyms. Such overlaps, according to the commission, are not permitted because acronyms are a key part of each political party’s unique identity.
In total, INEC said 40 of the applications were submitted without naming a protem national secretary, while five did not list a protem national chairman. Seven of the submissions failed to include either of these two crucial roles. Additionally, four associations submitted documents without a physical address, and one group failed to include a party logo—a basic requirement for party identity.
There were also examples of duplication involving individuals. Three different party names—New Green Generation Party, New Green Congress, and New Green Coalition Party—listed the same names for both protem national chairman and secretary: Mallam Idris Abdulkarim and Ambassador Crystal Ikechukwu Ogu. This raised suspicion that these were multiple applications submitted by the same group under different names.
INEC also noted that the Republican Party of Nigeria submitted two separate applications. Both used the same party name but listed different leaders and different addresses. One of the applications was led by Col. Vincent Enemoma Abu and Buhari Yakubu, with their office in Mabushi, Abuja. The second application had MD Coma and Chief Abu Ali as its officials, with a different address near Utako Market, also in Abuja.
A similar case was found with the Obidient Peoples Party, as two applications were submitted for registration under this same name. This further raised issues of duplication, confusion, and possible internal conflict.
INEC said some of the submitted acronyms resembled those of parties that were previously deregistered, which is not allowed under current rules. Others were submitted by individuals acting as legal representatives or conveners, but without naming any party officers. This violates the basic guidelines for registration and raises questions about the seriousness and structure of those groups.
The full list of proposed political parties includes a wide variety of names, ranging from conventional to highly creative. Some of the proposed names are: Key of Freedom Party, Absolute Congress, All Grassroot Party, Congress Action Party, United Social Democrats Party, National Action Congress, New Nigeria Congress, United People’s Victory Party, and Allied Conservative Congress.
Others include: Peoples Freedom Party, Abundant Social Party, All Nigeria’s Party, Citizens Party of Nigeria, National Freedom Party, Patriots Party, Movement of the People, Peoples National Congress, Alliance of Patriots, African Union Congress, and Socialist Equality Party.
There are also unusual names like Polling Units Ambassadors of Nigeria, Marina Multipurpose Cooperative Society, Village Intelligence Party, Pink Political Party, Above All, and Rebuild Nigeria Group.
Speaking at a consultative session with senior media professionals, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said the commission is currently reviewing all applications to ensure compliance with electoral laws.
“As of 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 said.
Yakubu noted that INEC had acknowledged all but six applications so far, explaining that the pending ones were received recently and would be addressed within the week. He also reminded the public that the full handbook of INEC’s 2022 guidelines for party registration is available for download on its official website.
He responded to concerns that high-profile sponsors might get special treatment, saying, “We will treat all requests fairly, irrespective of the status of their promoters, be they ordinary or prominent citizens.”
As part of the update, Prof. Yakubu also announced that INEC is now fully ready to resume two major electoral activities: the conduct of pending by-elections and the nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).
“I am glad to announce that the commission is now in a position to conduct the by-elections and to resume the nationwide CVR. The commission met yesterday and we are finalising the details of the two activities which will be made public in the next 24 hours,” he added.
He used the opportunity to thank the media for their support, saying, “We look forward to your support.”
He further discussed preparations for upcoming electoral events. According to the INEC chairman, primary elections for the Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are currently underway and are scheduled to conclude by June 30.
“The election will be held in 68 constituencies made up of chairmen and their deputies for the six area councils, namely Abaji, the Abuja Municipal, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali, as well as 62 wards drawn on the basis of 10 wards for each area council, except AMAC, which has 12 wards on account of its population,” he noted. Full details on the boundaries and structure of these constituencies are already posted on INEC’s official site.
In addition to the FCT elections, preparations are also ongoing for the Anambra State governorship election, which is set to take place on November 8, 2025. Campaigns officially began on June 11 and will run until the midnight of November 6, two days before the polls open.
Prof. Yakubu reminded media organisations to begin the process of accreditation to cover the Anambra election.
“I wish to appeal to you to promptly upload your applications for accreditation of media personnel for the Anambra State governorship election as soon as the portal opens,” he said.
Yakubu concluded by restating the commission’s commitment to fairness, transparency, and strict adherence to Nigeria’s electoral laws.
