The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that it has received 110 applications from various political associations seeking registration as political parties.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this on Wednesday during the commission’s second regular consultative meeting with media executives held at its national headquarters in Abuja.
Speaking on the status of the applications, Prof. Yakubu revealed that the commission had acknowledged all but six of the submissions, which he said were received recently and would be processed before the end of the week.
He stressed that all applications are being handled in line with the Electoral Act and INEC’s 2022 Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties.
Amid criticisms suggesting the commission is biased or hesitant in handling the registration process, the INEC boss dismissed such allegations as “unfounded and misleading.”
“Clearly, one of the topical issues on election administration in our country today is the status of the letters of intent we received from associations seeking registration as political parties amidst partisan insinuations in some quarters that the commission is equivocating on the matter in a manner that compromises our independence.
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“Nothing can be further from the truth,” Prof. Yakubu said, referencing similar criticisms levelled against the commission in 2013 over the registration of opposition party mergers.
Prof. Yakubu reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to transparency, fairness, and due process, emphasising that all applicants, regardless of social or political status, will be treated equally.
“We will treat all requests fairly, irrespective of the status of their promoters, be they ordinary or prominent citizens,” he stated.
He also noted that the commission holds the record for registering the highest number of political parties in Nigeria’s history.
For the 2019 general election, there were 91 registered political parties and 73 presidential candidates, a situation that drew mixed reactions from stakeholders and the public.
Following that election, INEC deregistered over 70 political parties for failing to meet the minimum electoral performance requirements and constitutional provisions.
Prof. Yakubu encouraged interested groups and the general public to consult the commission’s official website for detailed information on the party registration process, including the full 2022 Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties.