BREAKING NEWS: INEC Shortlists 14 of 171 Applicants for Political Party Status

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that 14 political associations have crossed the first hurdle toward registration as political parties, while 157 others failed to meet the basic requirements…  .Read ..Full.. Article.. .

The decision followed INEC’s regular meeting on Thursday, which also reviewed preparations for the forthcoming off-cycle governorship elections and the end-of-tenure Area Council polls in the Federal Capital Territory.

In a statement signed by Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, the commission disclosed it had received 171 applications from groups seeking party registration.

“Each request was assessed based on its prima facie compliance with Section 222 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Section 79 (1, 2 and 4) of the Electoral Act 2022, and Clause 2 (i and ii) of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties 2022,” the statement said.

Olumekun explained that the 14 associations which satisfied the preliminary criteria will now proceed to the next phase, while the remaining 157 will be formally notified of their rejection within 24 hours.

The interim chairmen and secretaries of the pre-qualified groups have been invited to a briefing at INEC headquarters on Wednesday, September 17, 2025.

However, INEC stressed that clearing the initial stage does not guarantee full registration. “The commission will physically verify all claims by each association before making a final determination,” Olumekun said, adding that full compliance with the legal framework, and..  Read . .More —