The Independent National Electoral Commission has told a coalition of political groups seeking to register a new party ahead of the 2027 general elections that no amount of public pressure or blackmail would override the need for strict compliance with constitutional and regulatory requirements.
The electoral body questioned the coalition’s compliance with key legal and procedural requirements, warning that party registration was not merely a political declaration but a constitutional process governed by strict guidelines.
INEC also denied reports circulating online, claiming the registration of two new political parties – the “Independent Democrats” and the “Peoples Democratic Movement.”
Several opposition members had recently accused the electoral body of refusing to register new political parties, raising concerns about the inclusiveness of the electoral process.
Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, accused INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, of blocking the registration of new political parties.
Speaking on Arise TV earlier in June, Amaechi praised former INEC Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega, for ensuring a transparent electoral process that led to the All Progressives Congress registration and eventual victory in 2015.
He said, “The current chairman of INEC, if he were the chairman of INEC in 2015, we would not have won.
