The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared only two political associations — the African Alliance Party (AAP) and the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) — for the final stage of political party registration, sources have told TheCable.
On September 11, INEC granted provisional approval to 14 of 171 associations seeking registration as political parties.
The associations were the African Transformation Party (ATP), All Democratic Alliance (ADA), Advance Nigeria Congress (ANC), Abundance Social Party (ASP), African Alliance Party (AAP), Citizens Democratic Alliance (CDA), Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), Grassroots Initiative Party (GRIP), Green Future Party (GFP), Liberation People’s Party (LPP), National Democratic Party (NDP), National Reform Party (NRP), Patriotic Peoples Alliance (PPA), and Peoples Freedom Party (PFP).
In October, INEC shortlisted eight associations — ADA, CDA, ASP, AAP, DLA, GFP, NDP and PFP — for the next phase of the registration process, noting that they complied with constitutional and statutory requirements.
INEC DISQUALIFIES SEVERAL ASSOCIATIONS OVER COMPLIANCE ISSUES
Sources familiar with the process told TheCable that only AAP and DLA have now been cleared to move forward, with INEC disqualifying the remaining six associations for failing to meet INEC’s final assessment.
One of the associations that failed to scale through shared a letter with TheCable, in which INEC cited an issue with the group’s address as one of the reasons for rejecting its application.
The letter was signed by Rose Oriaran-Anthony, the commission’s secretary.
The association countered INEC’s claim, stating that the group had formally notified the electoral umpire of a change of address, uploaded the new details on the commission’s portal, and exchanged subsequent correspondence using the updated address.
“INEC officials also carried out physical verification at the new location without raising objections at the time,” the source said.
“They said even all the things that our party presented, they [INEC] don’t have them,” the source said.
TheCable understands that some of the disqualified associations are challenging INEC’s decision in court.
TheCable has reached out to INEC for comments.
