INEC Registers Two New Parties, Warns Against Leadership Crises Ahead of 2027 Polls

As preparations gather momentum for the 2027 general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved the registration of two additional political parties—the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

The approval brings the total number of registered political parties in the country to 21.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, announced the development on Thursday while addressing stakeholders at the Commission’s first regular consultative meeting with political parties.

According to Amupitan, the DLA successfully met INEC’s stringent verification requirements, while the NDC was registered following compliance with a directive of the Federal High Court.

However, the INEC chairman expressed concern over the persistent leadership crises bedevilling many political parties, warning that such internal conflicts pose a serious threat to constitutional order and the integrity of the electoral process.

“Our collective commitment to the integrity of the electoral process is being challenged by the unfortunate and increasingly frequent leadership crises within political parties,” Amupitan said.

He lamented that internal party disputes often result in unnecessary litigation, which places pressure on the judiciary and distracts INEC from its core statutory responsibilities.

“These disputes often spill into needless litigations that tax the judicial system and divert the Commission from its core mandate,” he added.

Amupitan further noted that INEC is frequently drawn into party feuds, a situation he said hampers effective voter mobilisation.

“Each litigation consumes time and resources and distracts from the important work of mobilising voters. Sometimes, you wonder whether one should even continue to register or retain some political parties, given the recurring leadership struggles and court orders declaring different individuals as party leaders,” he said.

The INEC boss also raised alarm over declining voter turnout across the country, describing the trend as worrisome.

He disclosed that voter participation dropped from 53.7 per cent in the 2011 presidential election to 43.6 per cent in 2015, declined further to 34.7 per cent in 2019, and fell to an all-time low of 26.7 per cent in the 2023 general election.

“Technology alone cannot solve voter apathy. Citizens’ trust is often eroded by a perceived lack of democratic dividends or the fear that their voices do not matter. We must change this narrative together,” Amupitan said.

The Commission reaffirmed its readiness for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council Elections scheduled for February 21, 2026, noting that 1,680,315 registered voters are expected to cast their ballots across 2,822 polling units.

INEC also confirmed ongoing preparations for the Ekiti State governorship election slated for June 20, 2026, and the Osun State governorship election fixed for August 8, 2026.

To strengthen electoral credibility ahead of upcoming polls and the 2027 general election, INEC announced plans to conduct a nationwide Voter Revalidation Exercise aimed at sanitising the voters’ register of 93.4 million entries by removing duplicates and deceased persons.

In his response, the National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Dr Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, urged INEC to remain neutral and strictly adhere to party constitutions to avoid allegations of bias.

Dantalle also renewed calls for comprehensive electoral reforms, including the scrapping of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs).

“IPAC therefore reiterates its position that SIECs be scrapped and INEC empowered to conduct all elections nationwide, given its institutional expertise and capacity,” he said.

He further advocated mandatory real-time transmission of election results to the IReV portal and proposed that all elections be conducted on the same day to reduce costs, curb bandwagon effects and address voter fatigue.