The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed the reception of 110 applications from various associations seeking registration as new political parties, marking the highest number since 2019. This development comes ahead of the 2027 general election in Nigeria. Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of INEC, disclosed this during the second regular consultative meeting with media executives in Abuja, assuring Nigerians of the commission's commitment to fairness and adherence to the law in processing all requests.

Yakubu's comments aimed to counter partisan insinuations that INEC might be compromising its independence or equivocating on the matter of party registration. He drew a parallel to similar unfounded accusations made in 2013, when the commission was falsely accused of being against a proposed merger of political parties because it had supposedly 'merged with the ruling party' at the time. The INEC chairman emphasized that the present commission has registered the largest number of political parties in Nigeria, strictly following the electoral legal framework. For instance, the 2019 General Election saw 91 political parties and 73 presidential candidates, though INEC faced criticism for registering too many. Post-election, over 70 political parties were deregistered as provided by law, demonstrating a commitment to legal provisions.

As of Monday, June 23, 2025, 110 letters of intent had been received. All requests, except for six recent ones that will be acknowledged by week's end, are being diligently processed in line with outlined procedures, regulations, and guidelines. Interested parties can access the 'Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties 2022' handbook on the commission's website. Notably, the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), associated with former INEC chairman Prof Attahiru Jega, was not among the successful applicants, while the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), promoted by figures like former Governor Ahmed Nasir El-Rufai, Atiku Abubakar, and Rotimi Amaechi, is among those being considered.

The list of applying associations includes diverse names such as Key of Freedom Party, Progressive Obedients Party (one of two applications referencing the 'Obidient movement'), National Youth Alliance, Peoples Democratic Congress, Movement of the People, and Obidient Peoples Party. For transparency, INEC announced it would release the full list of these 110 associations, including their proposed names, acronyms, addresses, and protem chairmen and secretaries, on its website and social media platforms.

Beyond party registration, Prof. Yakubu also provided updates on other crucial electoral activities. He announced that INEC is now in a position to conduct outstanding bye-elections and resume the nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), with details to be finalized and made public within 24 hours. For the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Councils election, political parties’ primaries are scheduled to end on June 30, 2025. Additionally, campaigns for the upcoming Anambra governorship election, slated for August 8, have already commenced since June 11 and will conclude on November 6. The commission urged the media to monitor electoral and political activities and appealed for prompt online applications for accreditation for the Anambra poll. Alhassan Yahaya, President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), commended INEC's regular media engagement and efforts, appealing for the prioritization of journalists' safety in the upcoming elections.