The African Alliance Party, AAP, has condemned in strong terms the failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to register it as a political party.
AAP said it has met all the requirements as provided in the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Electoral Act, and the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties 2022.
Recall that in a press release issued in September 2025 and signed by Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, INEC made public the list of 14 pre-qualified associations out of a total of 171 requests for registration, including the African Alliance Party.
Interim chairmen and secretaries of the pre-qualified associations were invited to a briefing on 17 September 2025 at INEC’s headquarters in Abuja.
The Commission opened its dedicated portal for the upload of required documents from 18 September to 18 October 2025.
In another press release dated October 30, 2025, INEC stated that as of Saturday, 19 October 2025, eight out of the 14 pre-qualified associations had successfully completed the upload of all necessary information and documentation, including AAP.
The Commission reaffirmed its commitment to inclusivity, transparency, and the deepening of Nigeria’s democratic culture.
It was also at some point reported that the electoral umpire cleared only two political associations, with AAP being one of them.
AAP said it has met all the requirements for registration as a political party, adding that its removal was unlawful and an injustice which, according to it, shall not stand.
“It is a calculated assault on the nation’s democracy,” it said.
AAP demanded immediate registration as a political party by INEC or face legal action.
“AAP reaffirms its confidence in the Judiciary as the temple of justice and the last hope of all aggrieved citizens, and will defend and deepen the nation’s democracy in spite of the antics of reactionary forces bent on suffocating the democratic space,” a statement signed by Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq, its National Publicity Secretary, said.
“The integrity of INEC is at stake. Its double standard is glaring in registering the purported Nigeria Democratic Congress, which did not participate in the registration process nor was listed on INEC’s website and other official platforms for public information. On what criterion was NDC registered?
“Court orders should be based on credible evidence of participation in the registration process. You cannot build something on nothing.
“This abuse of the legal process, INEC’s bias, and policy somersault shall be challenged in court. Due process and the rule of law must be complied with for sustainable democracy and development in Nigeria.
“It is obvious that anti-democratic elements want to stop the African Alliance Party by all means, using a compromised INEC. The political space should be widened, not compressed.
“INEC intentionally removed AAP and should register it now!”
2027: ‘We’re going to court’ – AAP slams INEC over removal
