2027: INEC Shortlists ADA, 13 Other Groups for Party Registration, 157 Applications Rejected

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that 14 associations, including the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), have scaled the first hurdle in their bid for registration as political parties.

This was disclosed in a statement on Thursday by the National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, following the commission’s regular meeting in Abuja.

According to Olumekun, the electoral body received 171 applications from various groups, but only 14 met the initial requirements. The remaining 157 were disqualified for failing to satisfy conditions set out in the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Electoral Act 2022, and INEC’s guidelines.

He added that the names of the pre-qualified associations had been published on INEC’s website and other official platforms for public awareness.

INEC stated that the interim chairmen and secretaries of the 14 associations are expected to attend a briefing at its headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, where details of the next verification processes will be outlined.

“The commission will physically verify all claims made by the associations in line with its regulations before taking a final decision on their registration,” the statement noted.

Groups That Qualified

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The 14 associations that scaled the first hurdle are:

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)
Peoples Freedom Party (PFP)

Political analysts note that Nigeria currently has 19 registered political parties, down from 91 in 2019, after INEC deregistered 74 parties in 2020 for failing to meet constitutional requirements such as winning elections or maintaining a strong national presence.

The fresh applications come as the country edges closer to the 2027 general elections, with several groups seeking to expand the political space and challenge the dominance of major parties like the APC and PDP.