Mahmood Yakubu, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), responded to the assertion made by political leaders of the Coalition of Opposition that the Commission might not wish to register a new party.
According to INEC, all requests would be handled equally, regardless of the status of the people making them—whether they are well-known or regular folks.
He declared, “Nigerians will be fully briefed of the actions taken by the Commission at every stage.”
At Wednesday’s second Regular Consultative Meeting with Media Executives, which took place in the Commission’s Conference Room in Abuja, Yakubu spoke about that issue.
The purpose of the conference was to discuss two electoral activities: the approaching Anambra State Governorship election and the holding of the primaries for the Area Council election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which is set to conclude on Monday, June 30, 2025.
In addition to 62 Wards drawn based on 10 Wards for each Area Council (with the exception of AMAC, which has 12 Wards due to its population), the council elections in Anambra will take place in 68 constituencies composed of Chairmen and their Deputies for the six Area Councils: Abaji, the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, and Kwali.
Yakubu noted that the status of the letters of intent the Commission received from associations requesting registration as political parties amid partisan insinuations is one of the current difficulties surrounding the management of elections in Nigeria.
On many occasions, opposition leaders Rotimi Amaechi and Nasir El-Rufai have claimed that the Commission is hesitating on the issue in a way that jeopardizes its independence.
Because INEC had “merged with the ruling party” at the time, he claimed, “Nigerians may remember that the same baseless charge was made under similar circumstances in 2013 that the Commission was not keen on the proposed merger of political parties.”
“For the record, the present Commission registered the largest number of political parties in Nigeria strictly following the provision of the electoral legal framework. For the 2019 General Election, there were 91 political parties and 73 presidential candidates. The Commission was criticised in some quarters for registering too many political parties.
As required by law, the Commission also deregistered more than 70 political parties following the election. In light of the current circumstances, we would like to reassure Nigerians that we would continue to follow the law and treat all associations that want to register as political parties fairly.
“All requests will be handled equally, regardless of the standing of those who are promoting them—whether they are well-known or common folks. Nigerians will receive comprehensive updates on the Commission’s work at every stage.
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