The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved 14 associations to advance in the political party registration process, while rejecting 157 others for failing to meet constitutional and legal standards, as the commission prepares to verify cleared groups next week.

INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, announced in a statement that out of 171 applications received, only 14 passed the preliminary assessment.

The cleared associations include: African Transformation Party (ATP), All Democratic Alliance (ADA), Advance Nigeria Congress (ANC), Abundance Social Party (ASP), African Alliance Party (AAP), Citizens Democratic Alliance (CDA), Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), Grassroots Initiative Party (GRIP), Green Future Party (GFP), Liberation People’s Party (LPP), National Democratic Party (NDP), National Reform Party (NRP), Patriotic Peoples Alliance (PPA), and Peoples Freedom Party (PFP).

Olumekun clarified that clearance is not final registration.

The associations must undergo physical verification of their claims, as stipulated under Section 222 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Section 79 (1, 2, and 4) of the Electoral Act 2022, and Clause 2 (i and ii) of INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties 2022. He noted that interim chairmen and secretaries of the 14 groups are scheduled for a briefing on September 17 at 11:00 a.m. at INEC’s Abuja headquarters, where claims will be scrutinized further.

INEC will communicate its final decisions within 24 hours post-verification.