The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has registered two new political parties, increasing the total number of recognised political parties in Nigeria to 21.
The Chairman of INEC, Professor Joash Amupitan, announced this at the Commission’s first regular consultative meeting with political parties held in Abuja on Thursday February 5, 2026.
According to him, the newly registered parties are the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC). He said both parties satisfied the constitutional and legal requirements for registration after a comprehensive assessment of their applications.
The Commission disclosed that it received no fewer than 171 letters of intent from political associations seeking registration.
INEC said the applications were evaluated in line with Sections 222 and 223 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Sections 75 and 79(1), (2) and (4) of the Electoral Act, 2022, as well as Clause 2 of its Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties.
Following an initial screening, 14 associations met the prequalification requirements and were invited to proceed to the next stage of the process. However, only eight successfully uploaded the required documents on INEC’s dedicated portal.
The eight associations include the All Democratic Alliance, Citizens Democratic Alliance, Abundance Social Party, African Alliance Party, Democratic Leadership Alliance, Green Future Party, National Democratic Party, and Peoples Freedom Party.
After what INEC described as a “thorough assessment and verification of compliance with constitutional and legal requirements,” only two associations qualified for final approval.INEC confirmed that the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) met all statutory conditions and has been officially registered as a political party, effective February 5, 2026.
“Accordingly, the Commission has decided to register the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) as a political party, effective from today,” the commission stated.
In addition, the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, in Suit No. FHC/LKJ/CS/49/2025, ordered INEC to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).The Commission said it had complied with the court directive and added the NDC to the list of recognised political parties.
“The Commission has decided to comply with the order and the party is being registered. Certificates of registration will be handed over to the two new political parties in due course,” Amupitan added.