The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved two new political parties, the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), as preparations for the 2027 general election intensify. The announcement, made by INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, during the Commission’s first consultative meeting with political parties, brings the total number of registered parties in Nigeria to 21.

INEC highlighted that the DLA successfully passed a rigorous verification process, while the NDC gained registration following compliance with a Federal High Court directive. Despite welcoming the new parties, Prof. Amupitan expressed concern over recurring internal leadership crises in several political platforms, warning that such disputes hinder voter mobilisation and threaten constitutional order.

The Commission also raised alarm over declining voter turnout, noting that participation in presidential elections has steadily fallen from 53.7% in 2011 to 26.7% in 2023. INEC emphasized that technology alone cannot solve voter apathy, urging all stakeholders to restore citizens’ trust in the democratic process. Preparations are ongoing for upcoming elections, including the FCT Area Council Elections on February 21, 2026, the Ekiti Governorship Election on June 20, 2026, and the Osun Governorship Election on August 8, 2026.

In addition, INEC announced plans for a nationwide Voter Revalidation Exercise to clean up the register of 93.4 million entries by removing duplicates and deceased voters. IPAC National Chairman Dr. Yusuf Mamman Dantalle called for strict neutrality by INEC, mandatory real-time transmission of results to the IReV portal, and the scrapping of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral process.