The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, has assured Nigerians that the commission will treat all political party registration requests fairly, regardless of who is behind them.
Speaking at the second Regular Consultative Meeting with Media Executives in Abuja on Wednesday, Yakubu addressed concerns raised by a coalition of opposition political leaders who had suggested that INEC might be reluctant to register new political parties.
"We will treat all requests fairly irrespective of the status of their promoters, be they ordinary or prominent citizens," Yakubu stated. "Nigerians will be fully briefed of the actions taken by the Commission every step of the way."
Opposition Leaders' Concerns
The INEC chairman's statement comes after prominent opposition figures, including former Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, had on separate occasions accused the electoral body of delaying the registration process for new political parties, particularly the proposed Alliance for Democratic Action (ADA).
Yakubu dismissed these allegations as unfounded, drawing parallels to similar accusations made in 2013 regarding the merger of political parties that eventually formed the All Progressives Congress (APC).
"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," he explained.
INEC's Track Record
Defending the commission's record, Yakubu highlighted that the current INEC leadership has registered the largest number of political parties in Nigeria's history, strictly following electoral legal frameworks.
"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," he noted.
He added that after the 2019 elections, INEC deregistered over 70 political parties as provided by law, emphasizing that the commission would continue to be guided by legal provisions in its operations.
Upcoming Electoral Activities
The meeting also provided insights into two upcoming electoral activities: the conduct of primaries for the Area Council election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), scheduled to end on Monday, June 30, 2025, and the forthcoming Anambra State Governorship election.
The FCT Council elections will be held in 68 constituencies, comprising chairmen and their deputies for the six Area Councils—Abaji, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, and Kwali—as well as 62 wards distributed across these councils.
AMAC has 12 wards due to its larger population, while each of the other five area councils has 10 wards.
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