The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed online reports claiming that two new political parties, the Independent Democrats and the Peoples Democratic Movement, have been registered.
In a statement posted on its official X account on Wednesday, INEC labelled the reports as inaccurate and called on the public to ignore them.
The commission clarified that no new political parties have been added to the existing register.
“The number of registered political parties in Nigeria remains 19, and no additional parties have been approved,” INEC stated.
Addressing the history of the two groups mentioned in the false reports, INEC noted that both the Independent Democrats and the Peoples Democratic Movement were previously registered as political parties in August 2013. However, the commission deregistered them in February 2020, citing Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as the basis for their removal.
INEC reiterated its dedication to maintaining transparency and following constitutional guidelines in its operations.
“We ask the public to dismiss these reports,” the statement said.
