INEC Releases Supplementary Guidelines for Election Result Review, Receives 12 More Party Registration Requests

By Iyojo Ameh

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has published supplementary regulations guiding the review of election results and announced it has received 12 additional applications from associations seeking registration as political parties.

The announcement was made by INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, in a press statement issued Thursday, July 3, 2025, following the Commission’s regular weekly meeting.

According to Olumekun, the Supplementary Regulations and Guidelines for the Review of Election Results have been uploaded to INEC’s website and other official platforms for public access. The guidelines are contained in Supplementary No.1 to the existing Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections 2022 and provide a clear framework and timelines for the review process.

Olumekun explained that the Commission was acting in line with the powers granted under Section 65 of the Electoral Act 2022. The section allows INEC to review any declaration or return made in elections if such declarations are not made voluntarily or are contrary to the law, regulations, or guidelines.

“Consequently, there have been many interpretations of Section 65 of the Electoral Act, making it necessary for the Commission to use its powers under the law to issue regulations, guidelines or manuals to give effect to the Act and aid its administration,” Olumekun said.

In addition to the new electoral guidelines, the Commission announced that it had received 12 new applications for political party registration as of Wednesday, July 2, 2025. This brings the total number of pending applications to 122, following an earlier batch of 110 applications received as of Monday, June 23, 2025.

Olumekun reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to a fair and transparent application process and assured the public that the Commission would provide regular updates.

“The list of the new applications, including the names of the associations, their acronyms, addresses, interim chairmen, and secretaries, has been uploaded to our website and other platforms for public information. We will respond to these applicants in line with the Electoral Act and the Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties 2022,” he said.

The Commission also disclosed that one association had already changed its interim secretary due to defection to another association. INEC urged all applicant associations to maintain consistency in their proposed leadership and addresses, warning that any inconsistency may delay the consideration of their applications