The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expanded Nigeria’s political space with the registration of two new political parties—the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC)—as preparations intensify for the 2027 general election.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, announced the development on Thursday in Abuja during the Commission’s first regular consultative meeting with political parties, raising the total number of registered parties to 21.
While the DLA scaled through INEC’s rigorous verification process, Amupitan explained that the NDC was registered in compliance with an order of the Federal High Court.
However, the INEC chairman used the occasion to express deep concern over persistent leadership crises within political parties, warning that such infighting poses a threat to constitutional order and the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process.
“Our collective commitment to the integrity of the electoral process is being challenged by the unfortunate and increasingly frequent leadership crises within political parties,” Amupitan said.
“These disputes often spill into needless litigations that tax the judicial system and divert the Commission from its core mandate.”
He lamented that INEC is frequently dragged into internal party conflicts, a development he described as a major distraction.
“Each litigation consumes time and resources and distracts from the important work of mobilising voters.
“Sometimes, you wonder whether one should even continue to register or retain some political parties, given the recurring leadership struggles and court orders declaring different individuals as party leaders,” he added.
Amupitan also drew attention to Nigeria’s declining voter turnout, describing the trend as sobering. He revealed that participation in presidential elections has steadily dropped from 53.7 per cent in 2011 to 43.6 per cent in 2015, 34.7 per cent in 2019, and an all-time low of 26.7 per cent in the 2023 general election.
“Technology alone cannot solve voter apathy. Citizens’ trust is often eroded by a perceived lack of democratic dividends or the fear that their voices do not matter. We must change this narrative together,” he said.
On upcoming polls, the INEC chairman reaffirmed the Commission’s readiness for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections scheduled for February 21, 2026, disclosing that 1,680,315 registered voters are expected to cast their ballots across 2,822 polling units.
He also said preparations were underway for the Ekiti State governorship election slated for June 20, 2026, and the Osun State governorship election fixed for August 8, 2026.
Looking ahead to 2027, Amupitan announced that INEC would soon commence a nationwide Voter Revalidation Exercise aimed at sanitising the voters’ register of 93.4 million names to remove duplicates and deceased persons.
In his remarks, National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Dr. Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, urged INEC to remain neutral and strictly guided by party constitutions to avoid any perception of bias.
Dantalle also renewed calls for far-reaching electoral reforms, including the scrapping of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs).
“IPAC therefore reiterates its position that SIECs be scrapped and INEC empowered to conduct all elections nationwide, given its institutional expertise and capacity,” he said.
He further advocated that “real-time transmission of election results to the IReV portal be made mandatory” and proposed that all elections be held on the same day to “reduce costs, prevent bandwagon effects, and address voter fatigue.”
