The Forum of Associations Seeking Registration as Political Parties (FASRAPP) has strongly criticized the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the exclusion of 157 political associations from advancing to the application stage of party registration.
INEC, in a statement issued on September 11 by its National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, disclosed that only 14 of the 171 associations that submitted letters of intent were prequalified.
Describing the development as “alarming,” FASRAPP in a statement jointly signed by Chief Barr. John Nwobodo, Chairman of FASRAPP and Dr. Godwin I. Udibe, Secretary of FASRAPP accused INEC of selective prequalification and breaching its own guidelines.
According to the Forum, the commission is mandated to convey approval or otherwise on the availability and suitability of proposed names, symbols, and acronyms of associations within 90 days of receiving letters of intent.
“Most of the associations submitted letters since 2024, yet INEC sat on them for more than a year. The 90-day period for mere name reservation is already too long, but INEC has allowed unnecessary delays,” the Forum said.
It further compared INEC’s process unfavorably to the Corporate Affairs Commission, which reserves company names within minutes.
FASRAPP also alleged inconsistencies in INEC’s handling of the process, pointing out that some associations with discrepancies in their information were cleared, while new names not previously on the commission’s list suddenly appeared among those prequalified.
The Forum stressed that under INEC’s guidelines, disqualification at the preliminary stage can only arise if the proposed name, symbol, or acronym is identical or confusingly similar to that of an existing party, carries ethnic, religious, or sectional connotations, or falls under prohibited categories such as government emblems, religious insignia, or portraits.
FASRAPP urged INEC to reduce the time spent on preliminary evaluations and adopt more transparent, modern practices that uphold Nigerians’ constitutional right to freely form and belong to political parties.
The Forum announced it would convene to review INEC’s official communication on the reasons for disqualifying the 157 associations before deciding its next line of action.
