By John Moses
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has refuted recent claims circulating online that it has approved the registration of new political parties.
In a statement issued on its official X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday, the commission described the reports as false and misleading.
“The attention of the Commission has been drawn to a fake report making the rounds about the registration of two new political parties, namely ‘Independent Democrats (ID)’ and ‘Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM)’,” the statement read.
INEC confirmed that it has not approved any new political parties, stating clearly that “the current number of registered political parties in Nigeria remains 19”, with no additions made.
The commission further clarified that both the ID and PDM were originally registered in August 2013 but were deregistered in February 2020, in line with Section 225A of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution.
INEC has urged the public to disregard the erroneous report and cautioned against the spread of misinformation, particularly through unverified online platforms.
