The absence of firm principles and values has left political parties offering little meaningful engagement to voters, widening the gulf between citizens and politicians.

As the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) moves to register 14 new parties, stakeholders have debated whether Nigeria’s democracy needs more voices for inclusivity or fewer, stronger parties to reduce voter confusion and curb the influence of wealthy elites buying dormant platforms.

Since 1999, the country has witnessed a proliferation of political parties, sometimes numbering more than 90, before INEC, backed by a Supreme Court ruling, deregistered dozens for failing to win any electoral seats.

In 1999, only three political parties participated in the general elections. The number rose to 28 in 2003 and further increased to 50 in 2007. By 2011, it had climbed to 63, before dropping to 27 in 2015. In 2019, a record 91 political parties contested, but the figure was pruned to 18 in 2023. With another 14 new parties being considered, the number of parties participating in elections is expected to rise again.

Following INEC’s reduction of political parties from 91 to 18, BOOT, one of the deregistered political parties, approached the court, a move triggered by public outcry after the 2019 elections.

Rising from 25 letters of intent in 2023, the figure surged to 91 by March 2025 and 144 by July. Most applications remain preliminary, requiring compliance with the 1999 Constitution, Electoral Act 2022, and INEC’s guidelines.

INEC spokesman Rotimi Oyekanmi stressed due process. While critics accuse INEC of delays, the Commission insists only qualified associations will be recognised, recalling 2019’s proliferation where registered parties were later pruned to 18.

When contacted, Mr. Rotimi Lawrence Oyekanmi, said the issues are too fundamental to be treated in urgency. According to him, “The issue is fundamental, and I will need more time to address it appropriately. You can go ahead, and we will do a follow-up on it.”

Critics of deregistration insist that it restricts citizens’ freedom of association, while advocates argue that many of the affected platforms were “briefcase parties” with no visible structure, grassroots membership, or serious electoral agenda.

With the 2027 elections already prompting political realignments, some analysts warn that multiplying the number of parties without reforming the electoral system could worsen existing challenges. Nigeria’s ballots, often congested with dozens of logos, have confused voters in the past, leading to high numbers of invalid votes. More significantly, political parties without clear ideologies or sustainable structures dilute serious policy debate, reducing elections to contests of personalities and moneybags.

Proponents, however, argue that deregistration and restrictions betray the essence of democracy. They maintain that the failure of small parties should not justify their erasure, but rather encourage innovation and resilience. They cite advanced democracies like India and the United States, where multiple smaller parties coexist even though only a few dominate. In Nigeria, they contend, the presence of alternatives, no matter how weak, keeps the dominant parties in check and occasionally produces unexpected breakthroughs, as seen with the Labour Party’s performance in the 2023 elections.

In a statement issued penultimate week, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, disclosed that the commission received 171 applications from associations seeking registration as political parties.

Olumekun explained, however, that 157 of the applications failed to scale the crucial stage required for the next round, stressing that only 14 met the initial requirements and have been shortlisted for final consideration.

According to him, the commission assessed all applications based on prima facie compliance with the provisions of Section 222 of the Constitution, Section 79 (1, 2 and 4) of the Electoral Act 2022, as well as Clause 2 (i and ii) of INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties 2022.

Stakeholders who spoke to The Guardian criticized INEC for failing to address the proliferation of inactive political parties. They lamented that while many of the parties confuse voters during elections, they also position themselves to be bought over by desperate politicians close to the general elections.

Prof. Adewale Yagboyanju of the Political Science Department, University of Ibadan, described dormant parties as “nothing but a distraction,” arguing that a genuine political party should have the influence and capacity to win elections, at least in certain areas, even if it lacks a national spread.

He stressed that newly registered parties with proven capacity should replace those that have outlived their usefulness, adding that conflict is inevitable in political life. According to him, internal party democracy is incomplete without conflict, but such disputes must remain within the law, and violations should attract sanctions.

Similarly, public affairs analyst Prof. Femi Ajayi argued that dormant parties reflect an inactive political landscape. He said: “INEC needs to assess the various political parties on their operations and viability. The only way to achieve this is to abide by the rules of the game. Democracy is supposed to be a game of numbers and transparency. But in the case of Nigeria, it looks like a game of secrets and one for the court to always decide. It makes democracy a joke. Too many little numbers will just be making fun of themselves. No, not at all. Citizens have been put outside the content. They do not have a say in it all.”

Nigeria’s former Ambassador to the Philippines, Dr. Yemi Farounbi, observed that, ideally, a political party should be an association of persons who share common ideas about governance.

“Sharing common ideas,” he argued, “suggests that they are ideologically committed to how the country’s economy, politics, foreign affairs and other aspects of governance should be run. With commitment as a driving force, these persons should be dedicated to marketing their ideas to the electorate as the optimum model for governing the country. After all, the ultimate aim of a political party is to win elections democratically and then govern the country successfully based on those shared ideas.”

Farounbi remarked that Nigerian political parties fall short of such standards. He stated, “The lack of core ideas and values makes all of them look alike. The only differentiating factors are perhaps the names, colours and slogans. They therefore offer no attraction to the electorate to become members, so that they can win elections.

“Because of this fundamental weakness, these many personal fiefdoms offer no inclusiveness to the electorate. There continues to be a huge disconnect between the political parties and the electorate.

“In 2023, there were 83 million registered voters, but only 27 million voted. The winner secured 8.7 million votes, just 37 per cent of the voting population. This confirms the non-representativeness of the people by multi-micro political parties. It doesn’t matter how many parties get registered by INEC; so long as they are not tied to core values, ideas and ideology, they offer the people no rational choices. When we had 78 political parties and now that we have 18, there’s no difference in the inclusiveness of the people.”

Farounbi dismissed the notion that the number of political parties reflects societal plurality, or that it signifies increased democratization or greater political participation by the people.

“There is, in fact, proven evidence that there was greater participation in the political process when we had only the SDP and NRC. There was evidence that the people showed greater commitment to the parties. The people showed greater interest in, and control of, the two parties. That was demonstrated in the mass defence of the victory by the electorate. We have not seen that outpouring of faith, support, and commitment since 1993,” he said.

He maintained that INEC should be reducing the number of political parties based on core values. According to him, INEC should not create a situation where politicians purchase nominations from dormant parties. “We have seen the disastrous effects on the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and the Labour Party (LP),” he added.

However, on whether Nigeria should continue to register more political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections, the National President of the Middle Belt Forum, Bitrus Porgu, pushed the responsibility back to the National Assembly, describing it as the only institution with the constitutional power to regulate party registration.

He argued that democracy thrives on diversity and multiplicity of voices, hence the Independent National Electoral Commission has little or no room to block associations seeking registration once they meet constitutional requirements.

According to him, “democracy has its own peculiarities and there is nothing the commission could do to stop any association from being registered as a party as long as they meet the constitutional criteria.” He added that “the more the parties, the merrier,” stressing that this would provide Nigerian voters with a broader range of choices whenever they go to the polls.

But taking a different position, human rights activist Wale Adeoye faulted the notion that more parties necessarily strengthen democracy. He likened the continuous registration of small and often inactive political parties to “further compounding the problems of the electorate,” particularly in a system already struggling with low voter turnout, weak party ideology, and a lengthy ballot structure that can confuse or discourage voters.

Adeoye argued that while the National Assembly has a role to play in amending the constitution to streamline registration processes, INEC also carries a responsibility to ensure robust screening before issuing party certificates. “It is unfortunate that most of the minor parties are registered by the political bourgeoisie for their selfish interests and purposes,” he said.

He pointed to the peculiar case of the Labour Party, originally conceived as a platform for workers but now controlled by private political interests. “Again, most of the smaller parties serve as fronts for the bigger ones, which is why they hardly ever win elective posts. Some wealthy individuals also sponsor these fringe parties to boost their political CVs, so that they can claim to be former presidential aspirants,” Adeoye noted.

For Adeoye and others on his side of the debate, what Nigeria needs is not more political parties but stronger institutional frameworks, internal party democracy, and electoral reforms to reduce the influence of money and godfatherism. They warn that unless reforms are introduced, the registration of more parties will continue to serve as a playground for wealthy elites who create shells to bargain for appointments, contracts, or political relevance.

Adeoye suggested that INEC could work with civil society groups and legal reformers to encourage independently sponsored bills at the National Assembly. Such bills, he said, could introduce tougher requirements for registration, such as demonstrated grassroots presence, audited membership numbers, and proof of sustained political activity, rather than the current minimal thresholds that allow paper-based parties to flood the system. (The Guardian, but headline rejigged)