2027: INEC Approves Two New Political Parties, DLA and NDC

By Iyojo Ameh

Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expanded Nigeria’s political landscape by approving two new parties: the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

Speaking at INEC’s first regular consultative meeting with political parties on Thursday, Chairman Prof.

He noted that the DLA passed INEC’s verification process, while the NDC’s registration followed a Federal High Court directive.

Despite welcoming the new additions, Prof. Amupitan expressed concern over recurring leadership disputes within many parties.

“Frequent internal crises challenge our commitment to the integrity of the electoral process,” he said, adding that such conflicts often end up in court, placing unnecessary pressure on the judiciary and diverting INEC from its statutory duties.

He warned that these disputes undermine voter mobilization and may raise questions about whether some parties should continue to exist.

The INEC chairman also highlighted declining voter turnout, citing a drop from 53.7% in 2011 to 26.7% in the 2023 general elections.

“Technology alone cannot solve voter apathy. Citizens’ trust is eroded when they feel their votes do not count. We must change this narrative together,” he stressed.

INEC reaffirmed its readiness for the FCT Area Council elections scheduled for February 21, 2026, which will see 1,680,315 registered voters cast ballots across 2,822 polling units.

Preparations are also underway for the Ekiti State Governorship election on June 20, 2026, and the Osun State Governorship election on August 8, 2026.

To ensure credible elections, INEC plans a nationwide Voter Revalidation Exercise to remove duplicates and deceased entries from the 93.4 million-strong voters’ register.

IPAC National Chairman, Dr. Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, called on INEC to maintain neutrality, follow party constitutions, and implement reforms including the scrapping of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs).

He also advocated mandatory real-time transmission of results to INEC’s IReV portal and holding all elections on the same day to reduce costs and voter fatigue.

“Electoral transparency is key to restoring public confidence,” Dantalle said.