By Joy Odor
Nigeria’s electoral landscape is heating up as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) receives a surge of applications from associations seeking to register as political parties.
In an update statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Thursday by Sam Olumekun, the National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Information & Voter Education Committee, in just one week, seven new applications were submitted, bringing the total to 129 prospective parties.
He informed that INEC is currently processing these applications, which highlights the dynamic nature of Nigeria’s politics.
According to him, INEC is also introducing a new online portal to streamline the party registration process, making it faster and more seamless.
Olumekun affirmed that the portal would be integrated with the existing Party Financial Reporting and Auditing System (PFRAS) to enhance efficiency.
He assured that the list of associations seeking registration has been made public on INEC’s website and other platforms to promote transparency.
Olumekun maintained that INEC expects to conclude final testing of the new portal within the next week.
He explained that after deployment, the Commission will announce guidelines for submitting applications through PFRAS and outline next steps for eligible associations.
