
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially registered two new political parties.
The National Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), disclosed this on Wednesday during the first quarterly consultative meeting with political party leaders held at the INEC headquarters in Abuja.
The new parties are, the Democratic Leadership Alliance and the National Democratic Congress, bring the total number of recognized political parties in Nigeria to 21.
Speaking to a gathering of party chairmen and secretaries, Prof. Amupitan explained that the registrations were handled under different circumstances.
He said that the Democratic Leadership Alliance met the commission’s constitutional benchmark, the registration of the National Democratic Congress was registered in compliance with a court order.
“While the Democratic Leadership Alliance satisfied the administrative and constitutional benchmarks set by the Commission, the National Democratic Congress is being brought on board in strict obedience to a judicial pronouncement,” Amupitan clarified.
The Chairman further assured the representatives of the new parties that their formal certificates of registration would be issued to them in a short while.