Why Nigeria needs stronger parties, not just more of them

The recent disclosure that over 100 applications for new political party registration are pending before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may seem, at first glance, like a sign of democratic vibrancy. In truth, it is a troubling indicator of deeper dysfunction.

Nigeria’s Constitution, supported by the Electoral Act 2022, rightfully grants every citizen the freedom to associate and form political parties. This right must be respected. But what is legally permissible is not always what is politically useful or democratically sound.

We must begin to question the motivations behind this rush to register new parties. Are these platforms designed to drive national development, offer credible ideological alternatives, and enhance democratic choice? Or are they simply the latest vehicles for elite manoeuvring, less about principles and more about personal leverage in the political marketplace?

Since the return to civil rule in 1999, Nigeria has seen an explosion of political parties, many of which exist in name only. By 2019, there were 91 registered parties. A year later, INEC was forced to deregister 74 for failing to meet the most basic criteria: no headquarters, no activities, no ideological foundation. Just acronyms, logos, and press statements.

This pattern is resurfacing. Many of the new applications appear timed to take advantage of a fragmented political landscape. The opposition is in disarray, the PDP is paralysed by internal conflict, Labour Party is entangled in legal battles, and smaller parties are increasingly shaped by ethnic or sectional interests.

Rather than strengthen existing parties or reform from within, some politicians are opting for the shortcut: start a new one, slap on a fresh name, and use it as a bargaining chip in the next round of negotiations. This is not an act of civic duty. It is an escape hatch for failed loyalties and recycled ambitions.

INEC, as the electoral regulator, must not be reduced to a passive registrar of party names. It must take its role more seriously. Allegations that the Commission is delaying or manipulating the process to favour any political interest must be addressed publicly and transparently.

If INEC is indeed impartial, then it should publish the full status of all pending applications. Nigerians have a right to know who has applied, who has met the requirements, and who has not, and why. Silence, in this context, only deepens suspicion.

At the same time, prospective political actors must abandon the idea that rejection equals persecution. Political party registration is not an entitlement. It is a responsibility. Anyone seeking to form a political party must demonstrate seriousness—organisational structure, inclusive membership, national reach, and a commitment to internal democracy.

Nigeria does not lack parties. It lacks purpose. What the country needs is not a ballooning list of options, but a handful of strong, principled, well-organised political institutions that can earn public trust and win power through credibility, not confusion.

This begins with internal reform. Existing parties must clean house. They must open up space for younger voices, for women, for honest and independent minds. They must end the politics of imposition and turn their platforms into true vehicles of democratic engagement.

INEC, for its part, must subject every application to thorough scrutiny, examining not just compliance on paper but the intent behind the platform. If a party cannot demonstrate national inclusiveness, internal governance, and a clear ideological position, it should not be approved.

Above all, the Commission must remain independent. It must resist pressure from any camp and anchor its decisions on the law, not political expediency. INEC’s allegiance must be to the Nigerian people and the Constitution, not to the interests of those seeking to game the system.

Multiplying party logos will not deepen our democracy. Rebuilding public trust in the system will. Political renewal will come not through proliferation, but through reform, accountability, and a genuine contest of ideas.

Let us not mistake quantity for quality. A forest of political parties will not save Nigerian democracy. But a few strong trees, rooted in values, watered by public trust, and bearing the fruit of service, just might.