The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has received 110 letters of intent from associations seeking registration as political parties in Nigeria.

Disclosing this during the second quarterly consultative meeting with media executives in Abuja, yesterday, the Chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, promised that the commission would be fair in the registration process.

Meanwhile, the Federal High Court, Abuja, has served Yakubu with Form 49, a formal notice requiring an alleged contemnor to justify why they should not be committed to prison for disobeying a court order.

According to a document released by INEC, yesterday, Obidient Peoples Party and the All Democratic Alliance (ADA) are among 110 associations that have applied to the commission for registration as political parties.

The Obidient Peoples Party, with Barry Avotu Johnson, named as pro tem national chairman, is one of two applications referencing the Obidient Movement, a political wave associated with former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi. The second is named the Progressive ObidientsParty.

ADA is the proposed political platform by members of the anti-Tinubu coalition including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi; his Kaduna counterpart, Nasir el-Rufai; the convener of the League of Northern Democrats (LND), Dr Umar Ardo and a host of others.

Others include the Zonal Rescue Movement, Great Nigeria Party, National Youth Alliance, Alliance of Patriots, African Reformation Party, All Grassroots Party, Patriotic Nigerians Party, Peoples Freedom Party, Village Intelligence Party, New Green Generation Coalition Party, Nigeria Democratic Alliance, Citizen United Congress, Peoples Liberation Party, Accelerated African Development Association, Democratic Peoples Congress, Coalition for Nigerian Democrats, and All Labour’s Party.

Yakubu said the requests were currently being processed in line with legal provisions, INEC regulations and guidelines. He added that the full list of the 110 associations, including proposed party names, acronyms, addresses, as well as the names of pro tem chairmen and secretaries, would be uploaded to the commission’s website and social media platforms for public access.

He noted that INEC had, since Monday, acknowledged nearly all requests received, except six that came in recently and would be acknowledged before the end of the week.

Reacting to criticisms and insinuations surrounding the registration process, Yakubu maintained that the commission would remain impartial and would treat all applications fairly, regardless of the prominence of the promoters.

The INEC boss also recalled that the commission registered 91 political parties for the 2019 general election and subsequently deregistered over 70 in line with legal provisions.

On the Form 49, which the Court bailiff, Ayuba Sule, served the INEC boss on Tuesday, on behalf of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), followed by Form 48 served on the INEC boss last week.

Form 49, a critical legal instrument in Nigeria’s jurisprudence, is served on a contemnor after they had been served with Form 48, which warns of the consequences of disobeying a court order. If the contemnor fails to comply within two days of being served Form 48, the applicant may request the court registrar to issue and serve Form 49.

The judgment of the Federal High Court by Egwuatu, on March 5, 2025, clearly ordered the INEC boss to accept and recognise the outcomes of the party’s January 17, 2025, Emergency National Convention.

“By the service of Form 49, Yakubu has just a few days to comply with the judgment of the court or he will be docked in the court, where he will have to explain to the court why he has refused to obey its judgment,” NRM spokesperson, Chinedu Anselm, stated. “If history is anything to go by, Yakubu’s defiance of court orders and judgments may have earned him an indelible scar that can make him easily identifiable wherever he goes.”

However, Yakubu, through the INEC legal adviser, said he was used to being served Form 48 and Form 49, adding that the matter was already being resolved.