AAP Gives INEC Two-Week Ultimatum Over Party Registration

The African Alliance Party (AAP) has issued a two-week ultimatum to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register it as a political party or face legal action.

The AAP Interim National Chairman, Rev. Olusegun Peters, disclosed this on Monday while speaking with journalists in Abuja.

AAP is among eight pre-qualified associations seeking registration that reportedly completed the upload of all required documents on the commission’s portal.

Peters stated that the association not only met the upload deadline but also fulfilled all requirements stipulated in the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Electoral Act 2022, and INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties 2022.

He alleged that INEC unjustly denied the group registration despite meeting all stipulated conditions and timelines.

The AAP chairman referenced recent media reports indicating that two associations—the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC)—had been cleared for registration.

“It is hard to believe that INEC, which pledged to treat each application based on merit and according to the provisions of the laws, can turn around to deny AAP which, in all ramifications, met the requirements for registration,” Peters said.

According to him, the refusal to register the party was politically motivated due to AAP’s “growing popularity” ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“We believe we were denied registration because of the level of acceptance we have already gained with Nigerians, including the political class and ordinary citizens, based on our manifesto and the solutions we offer to Nigeria’s challenges,” he added.

Peters disclosed that the party’s lawyers had been briefed to commence legal proceedings if the commission fails to review its list and register AAP within the 14-day window.

He also called on INEC to make public the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the court order that reportedly led to the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in place of AAP.

The AAP chairman expressed surprise that the NDC was registered despite not being among the 14 pre-qualified associations or the eight that successfully uploaded their details to INEC’s portal.