2027: Anambra, FCT area council polls, bye-elections top on our plans – INEC 

INEC chairman Yakubu 1

Ahead of the 2027 general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Wednesday released the list of 110 political associations applying for registration as political parties.

Among the associations are the Obidient Peoples Party (OPP), led by Barry Avotu Johnson as protem national chairman, and Progressive Obidients Party (POP), both of which are linked to former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

 Also on the list is the Advanced Democratic Alliance (ADA), a political group believed to comprise members of the anti-Tinubu coalition.

They include former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Rivers state Governor Rotimi Amaechi, former Kaduna state Governor Nasir El-Rufai, the convener of the League of Northern Democrats, Dr Umar Ardo and a host of others.

Announcing this at the second consultative meeting with the media executives at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu said the electoral management body was diligently processing letters of intent from the associations.

He added that the commission would process the applications in line with the procedure outlined in the law as well as its Regulations and Guidelines.

Yakubu said: “As at Monday, 23rd June, 2025, the Commission has received letters of intent from 110 associations that wish to register as political parties. We are diligently processing the requests in line with the procedure outlined in the law as well as our Regulations and Guidelines. 

“We have acknowledged all requests received so far except six of them received recently which will be done before the end of the week. For emphasis, I wish to inform Nigerians, particularly those interested in registering new political parties, that the handbook containing the Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties 2022 is already available on the Commission’s website. 

“Meanwhile, the Commission is today releasing the full list of the 110 associations seeking registration as political parties indicating their proposed names, acronyms, addresses and the names of their protem chairmen and secretaries. 

“For transparency and public information, the list will be uploaded to our website and social media platforms shortly while hard copies are included in your folders for this meeting”. 

The INEC boss dispelled partisan insinuations in some quarters that the Commission was equivocating on the creation of new parties in a manner that compromised its independence.

“Clearly, one of the topical issues on election administration in our country today is the status of the letters of intent we received from associations seeking registration as political parties amidst partisan insinuations in some quarters that the Commission is equivocating on the matter in a manner that compromises our independence. 

“Nothing can be further from the truth. Nigerians may recall that the same unfounded accusation was made under similar circumstances in 2013 that the Commission was not keen on the proposed merger of political parties because INEC had “merged with the ruling party” at the time. 

While speaking on the agenda that topped Wednesday’s meeting, Professor Yakubu said “Today’s meeting is holding in the middle of two electoral activities. First is the conduct of primaries for the Area Council election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) which, by our Timetable and Schedule of Activities, ends on Monday 30th June 2025. 

“As you are aware, the election will be held in 68 constituencies made up of Chairmen and their Deputies for the six Area Councils, namely Abaji, the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali as well as 62 Wards drawn on the basis of 10 Wards for each Area Council, except AMAC which has 12 Wards on account of its population. The full delimitation details for the FCT are available on our website.

“The second electoral activity is the forthcoming Anambra state governorship election. Again, as you are already aware, campaign in public by political parties commenced exactly two weeks ago on 11th June 2025 and will continue until midnight of Thursday 6th November 2025 i.e. 24 hours prior to Election Day.

“The Commission will continue to update you on these and other electoral activities. I urge you to monitor these activities. At the same time, I wish to appeal to you to promptly upload your applications for accreditation of media personnel for the Anambra state governorship election holding on Saturday 8th November 2025 as soon as the portal opens so that we can process and deliver your accreditation tags well ahead of the election,” Yakubu said.

…On bye-elections, others

On arrangements to conduct outstanding bye-elections, Yakubu said: “I cannot conclude my remarks without briefing you on the conduct of outstanding bye-elections and the resumption of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR). 

“I am glad to announce that the Commission is now in a position to conduct the bye-elections and to resume the nationwide CVR. The Commission met yesterday (Tuesday) and we are finalising the details of the two activities which will be made public in the next 24 hours. As usual we look forward to your support.”

Full list of the political associations seeking INEC registration

1. Key of Freedom Party

2. Absolute Congress

3. All Grassroots Party

4. Congress Action Party

5. United Social Democrats Party

6. National Action Congress Party

7. Great Alliance Party

8. New Nigeria Congress

9. United Peoples Victory Party

10. Allied Conservative Congress

11. Peoples Freedom Party

12. All Nigerians’ Party

13. Abundant Social Party

14. Citizens Party of Nigeria

15. National Freedom Party

16. Patriots Party

17. Movement of the People

18. Peoples National Congress

19. African Union Congress

20. Alliance of Patriots

21. Socialist Equality Party

22. About Nigeria Party

23. African Reformation Party

24. Accelerated African Development Association

25. Obidient Peoples Party

26. Zonal Rescue Movement

27. Zuma Reform

28. Party for Socialist Transformation

29. Liberation People’s Party

30. Progressive Obedients Party

31. Great Nigeria Party

32. National Youth Alliance

33. National Reform Party

34. Patriotic Congress Party

35. Community Alliance Party

36. Grassroot Alliance Party

37. Advance Nigeria Congress

38. All Nigerians Alliance

39. Team New Nigeria

40. All Labour’s Party

41. New Green Generation Coalition Party

42. New Green Congress

43. New Green Coalition Party

44. About All (Nigerian)

45. Nigerian Liberty Movement

46. National Democratic Party

47. Citizen United Congress

48. All Gender Party

49. Polling Unit Ambassadors of Nigeria

50. Village Intelligence Party

51. Great Transformation Party

52. Alliance Social Party

53. Nigeria Democratic Alliance

54. New National Democratic Party

55. Obedients Peoples Party (duplicate name – possibly error or variation)

56. Nourish Democratic People’s Congress

57. All Youth Reclaim Party

58. LA RIBA Multipurpose Cooperative Society

59. Alliance Youth Party of Nigeria

60. The True Democrats

61. Democratic Peoples Congress

62. National Democratic Movement

63. Economic Liberation Party

64. Grassroot Ambassador’s Party

65. All For All Congress

66. People Democratic Alliance

67. United National Youths Party of Nigeria

68. Peoples Liberation Party

69. Democratic Union for Progress

70. Citizen Democratic Alliance

71. African Action Group

72. Patriots Alliance Network

73. Democratic Leadership Party

74. Pink Political Party

75. Young Motivation & Awareness for Development Forum

76. Access Party

77. Youth Progressive Empowerment Initiative

78. Grassroot Ambassadors’ Party

79. Republican Party of Nigeria

80. Sceptre Influence Party

81. Young Democratic Congress

82. Patriotic Nigerians Party

83. Far-Right Party

84. Democratic People’s Party

85. United Citizens Congress

86. Reset Nigeria

87. New Nigeria Democratic Party

88. Save Nigeria People Party

89. Above All

90. Alliance for Youth and Women Party

91. Rebuild Nigeria Group

92. Citizen Progressive Party

93. Good Guardian Party

94. Abiding Greatness Party

95. Patriotic Peoples’ Party

96. Development & Freedom Party

97. Peace, Unity & Prosperity Culture

98. The Populist Party

99. New Nigeria Leadership Party

100. All Allies Alliance

101. National Action Network

102. Coalition for Nigerian Democrats

103. Republican Party of Nigeria (appears twice – possibly same group or variant)

104. Abundance Africa Alliance

105. Freewill Humanitarian Party

106. Peoples Emancipation Party

107. Peoples Liberation Congress Party

108. Peoples Democratic Congress

109. All Democratic Alliance

110. Advanced Democratic Alliance (ADA)