The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday announced the registration of two new political parties, raising the total number of registered parties in Nigeria to 21.
The newly registered parties are the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, made the announcement during the commission’s first quarterly consultative meeting with political party stakeholders for 2026. The meeting marked his first formal engagement with party leaders since he assumed office in October 2025.
Prof. Amupitan said the DLA was registered after successfully completing INEC’s rigorous verification process, while the NDC was granted registration in compliance with an order of the Federal High Court.
The consultative meeting was attended by representatives of major political parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, alongside the party’s National Chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed, and National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu.
The Labour Party was also represented, with its leadership led by Senator Nenadi Usman and National Secretary, Senator Darlington Nwokocha.
In his remarks, Prof. Amupitan expressed concern over the increasing incidence of internal disputes within some political parties, but reassured stakeholders of INEC’s commitment to safeguarding the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process.
