The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has announced the registration of two new political parties.
The electoral umpire officially made the announcement on Thursday, at the first stakeholders consultative meeting with political parties in Abuja.
The introduction of the two new political parties now brings the total number of registered parties in Nigeria to 21.
The new parties, according INEC are Democratic Leadership Alliance, DLA, which was registered after fully meeting all constitutional and legal requirements under the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Electoral Act 2022, and INEC guidelines.
The other one is the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Registered in compliance with a Federal High Court order from Lokoja, Kogi State.
The INEC Chairman revealed that out of 171 associations that applied for registration, only 14 were pre-qualified, 8 uploaded required documents, and just two qualified for final assessment with DLA succeeding on merit and NDC via court directive.
He noted that Certificates of registration will be presented to both parties soon.
The INEC boss also urged political parties to resolve internal disputes through dialogue, warning that ongoing conflicts and litigation could undermine Nigeria’s electoral process ahead of future elections