As Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially approved two new political parties: the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Their addition brings the total number of registered political parties in the country to 21.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, made the announcement during the Commission’s first consultative meeting with political parties on Thursday.
While welcoming the new entrants, he expressed serious concern over recurring leadership disputes within existing parties, describing the internal crises as a threat to constitutional order and the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process.
“These disputes often end up in court, placing undue pressure on the judiciary and distracting INEC from its core duties of voter mobilization and election management,” Prof. Amupitan said.
Highlighting a troubling trend, he also drew attention to declining voter participation nationwide, noting that turnout in presidential elections dropped from 53.7% in 2011 to just 26.7% in 2023.
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“Technology alone cannot solve voter apathy. Citizens must feel their votes matter, and we all need to change this narrative,” he added.
The Commission confirmed its readiness for upcoming elections, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council polls on February 21, 2026, as well as governorship elections in Ekiti State on June 20, 2026, and Osun State on August 8, 2026.
INEC also plans a nationwide voter revalidation exercise to clean up the voters’ register of 93.4 million entries, removing duplicates and deceased individuals.
Responding, Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) Chairman, Dr. Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, urged INEC to maintain neutrality, adhere strictly to party constitutions, and implement reforms such as scrapping State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) and mandating real-time election result transmission.
With two new parties officially joining the political landscape, Nigeria’s democracy expands—but challenges remain as leadership disputes and voter disengagement continue to test the nation’s electoral system.
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