Tag: INEC

Political Parties Registration: ADA accuses INEC of working for ruling party

Aminu Imam
Umar Ardo on Liberty

…Heads to court The All Democratic Alliance, (ADA), is set to drag the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to court following its exclusion from the final stage of political party registration, accusing the electoral umpire of deliberately shrinking Nigeria’s democratic space in favour of the ruling party. Speaking on LibertyTV’s flagship public affairs programme: ‘PoliticsNOW‘, Convener of the League of Northern Democrats and key promoter of ADA, Dr. Umar Arɗo, made the allegation in Abuja, warning that INEC’s actions could reduce elections to mere “affirmation exercises” rather than genuine contests of…

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FCT Polls: PDP faces mass disqualification; as INEC removes LP

Aminu Imam
PDP on FCT polls

Ahead of the February 21, 2026 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, dozens of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates face possible disqualification, while the Labour Party (LP) has been completely excluded from the race. INEC’s final list of candidates, released on September 22, 2025, shows that the Labour Party (LP) has no cleared candidates for the polls, making it the only one of Nigeria’s 16 registered parties absent from the FCT elections. The PDP, which submitted 74 candidates for the six chairmanship, six vice-chairmanship and 62 councillorship seats, is…

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S’Court throws out INEC appeal against SDP

Aminu Imam
S'Court INEC appeal

…Awards ₦2m costs The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal filed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) challenging the leadership of the Social Democratic Party, (SDP), ruling that the case lacked merit and had become purely academic. In a unanimous judgment delivered yesterday, the apex court also imposed a ₦2 million cost against INEC’s counsel. Recall that INEC had asked the court to overturn an October 17 decision of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which upheld a Federal High Court ruling compelling the electoral body to recognise SDP…

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Leadership crisis: INEC meets with PDP factions 

Aminu Imam
INEC meets PDP

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has opened talks with the two rival factions of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the party’s lingering leadership crisis. The meeting, which took place at INEC’s national headquarters in Abuja, is aimed at addressing internal disputes threatening the party’s stability. This emergency engagement brings together representatives of the factions led by Tanimu Turaki and AbdulRahman Mohammed. The Mohammed faction is widely known to be backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), Nyesom Wike, while the Turaki group claims recognition by…

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INEC faces probe over missing ₦55.9bn meant for smart card readers, ballot papers

Aminu Imam
INEC Chairman

The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), has come under renewed scrutiny, following fresh revelations about billions of naira allegedly unaccounted for during the procurement of materials for the 2019 general elections. Rights group, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has asked the new INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, to immediately explain what happened to ₦55.9 billion reportedly released for smart card readers, ballot papers, result sheets and other election items. SERAP, which made the demand in a letter dated December 6, 2025,   said the findings published in the…

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‘2.4m Nigerians complete voter registration’ – INEC

Aminu Imam
INEC on voter registration

The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), has announced that 2,449,475 Nigerians have completed voter registration, with 1,425,898 online and 1,023,577 through physical capture. Osun led with 193,026 registrations, followed by Imo (144,209) and Kano (142,433). Anambra remains at zero due to the recently concluded governorship election.  The Continuous Voter Registration exercise will run until August 2026.

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Anambra election: “Name, shame vote-buying perpetrators” – SERAP urges INEC

Aminu Imam
SERAP to Tinubu2

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP), has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to identify, name, and prosecute individuals involved in alleged vote-buying during the Anambra governorship election. In a statement posted on SERAP’s social media pages at the weekend, the group emphasised that impunity for such electoral offenses undermines Nigeria’s democratic process and denies citizens their right to participate in governance. The group wrote, “#AnambraDecides2025: INEC must immediately identify, name and shame and prosecute perpetrators and sponsors of the widespread alleged vote-buying during the Anambra election,…

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Party registration: INEC disqualifies 6 more political associations

Aminu Imam
INEC disqualifies

…As 8 scale through initial stage The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), has said while eight political associations have completed the initial stage of the political party registration process, six others were disqualified. In an issued statement, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, who confirmed this development policeman yesterday, said: “INEC held its regular meeting on 30th October 2025 to review progress since an earlier update on 11th September. “Fourteen associations had been pre-qualified to participate in the process, which began with a…

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2027: Bill to ensure INEC conducts elections same day scales Senate 2nd reading 

Aminu Imam
Senate Bill in INEC

A Bill to make the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct presidential, governorship, national and state Assemblies’ elections same day has scaled second reading in the upper legislative chamber. This is one of the demands contained in the amendment Bill to repeal the Electoral Act 2022 and enact a new Electoral Bill 2025. The Bill, sponsored by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, Simon Lalong, representing Plateau-South, aims to strengthen the legal framework governing elections in Nigeria. Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the Bill passage during…

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2027: ‘Nigeria running out of time for credible, acceptance general elections’ – EU 

Aminu Imam
EU Mission on Nigeria

The European Union (EU) Electoral Observer Mission says Nigeria may be running against time in the push to conduct credible 2027 general elections. This was as it called for urgent steps to fast track the ongoing electoral and constitutional reforms to make the next general election acceptable to all stakeholders and in tandem with the recommendations of both local and international observers who observed the 2023 general elections. The EU team stated this while addressing a press conference on Friday in Abuja, stressing that the timely reforms in the constitution…

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