By Nkechi Eze
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has revealed that it has now received a total of 129 applications from associations seeking registration as political parties in Nigeria.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, following the Commission’s regular weekly meeting held on Thursday, July 10, 2025. According to Olumekun, seven additional applications were received within the past week, bringing the cumulative total to 129. He assured that all submissions are currently undergoing due administrative processing.
In a move to enhance efficiency and streamline the registration process, INEC also announced the introduction of a Political Party Registration Portal. The portal is a new module embedded in the Commission’s existing Party Financial Reporting and Auditing System (PFRAS).
“This will make the process faster and seamless,” Olumekun stated, adding that final testing of the portal is expected to be completed within the next one week, after which it will be formally deployed.
The Commission further indicated that upon successful deployment, associations that meet the necessary requirements will be invited to proceed to the application stage through the portal. INEC will also release detailed guidelines to aid prospective parties in filing their applications via PFRAS.
Meanwhile, Olumekun confirmed that the updated list of all associations seeking registration has been published on INEC’s website and other official platforms for public awareness and transparency.