110 associations apply to INEC for registration as political parties, INEC Chairman reveals

*Commission to resume CVR nationwide

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is currently processing requests from 110 associations which applied to it for registration as political parties, the commission’s Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu has disclosed.

Prof Yakubu made the disclosure on Wednesday in his opening remark at the INEC’s second regular consultative meeting with media executives at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

The commission, he pointed out, is diligently processing the requests in line with the procedure outlined in the law as well as INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines.

Yakubu pointed out that the full list of the 110 associations seeking registration as political parties will be released on Wednesday (yesterday), indicating their proposed names, acronyms, addresses and the names of their protem Chairmen and Secretaries.

He informed Nigerians, particularly those interested in registering new political parties, that the handbook containing the Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties 2022 is already available on the Commission’s website.

The INEC Chairman equally announced that the Commission is now in a position to conduct the bye-elections and to resume the nationwide CVR.

According to him, “We wish to reassure Nigerians that under the current situation, we will continue to be guided by law and act with fairness to all associations seeking registration as political parties.

“We will treat all requests fairly irrespective of the status of their promoters, be they ordinary or prominent citizens.

“Nigerians will be fully briefed of the actions taken by the Commission every step of the way.

“As at Monday, 23rd June 2025, the Commission has received letters of intent from 110 associations that wish to register as political parties.

“We are diligently processing the requests in line with the procedure outlined in the law as well as our Regulations and Guidelines.

“We have acknowledged all requests received so far except six of them received recently which will be done before the end of the week.

“For emphasis, I wish to inform Nigerians, particularly those interested in registering new political parties, that the handbook containing the Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties 2022 is already available on the Commission’s website.

“Meanwhile, the Commission is today (yesterday) releasing the full list of the 110 associations seeking registration as political parties indicating their proposed names, acronyms, addresses and the names of their protem Chairmen and Secretaries.

“For transparency and public information, the list will be uploaded to our website and social media platforms shortly while hard copies are included in your folders for this meeting”, he said.

Speaking on the conduct of outstanding bye-elections and the resumption of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in the country, Prof Yakubu said, ‘I am glad to announce that the Commission is now in a position to conduct the bye-elections and to resume the nationwide CVR”.

In his remarks, the President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mallam Alhassan Yahaya commended INEC for the regular media engagement and efforts by the commission to improve elections in the country.

Yahaya assured INEC of continued media support while appealing to the commission to prioritise journalists’ safety in the upcoming governorship election in Anambra.