ABUJA — The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has refuted reports circulating online that it has registered two new political parties — the Independent Democrats (ID) and the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM).
In a statement posted Wednesday on its official X (formerly Twitter) account, the electoral body described the claims as false and urged the public to disregard them.
“The number of registered political parties in Nigeria remains 19, and no additional parties have been approved,” INEC clarified.
The commission explained that while both parties were initially registered in August 2013, they were among those deregistered in February 2020 in line with Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution. Their removal followed a performance review that found they failed to meet constitutional requirements, including winning elections.
INEC reaffirmed its commitment to upholding transparency and adhering strictly to constitutional provisions in the discharge of its duties.
“We ask the public to dismiss these reports,” the statement concluded.
