• Usman makes history as first female party chair
• IPAC wants elections same day as INEC registers two new parties
• Yilwatda makes case for security personnel, journalists, other voters

FACTIONAL National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Samuel Anyanwu, has insisted that there are no factions within the opposition party, stating that the leadership crisis rocking the PDP has been resolved following a recent court judgment.

Anyanwu spoke with journalists yesterday after attending the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) quarterly consultative meeting with leaders of political parties in Abuja.
The meeting was remarkable as Senator Esther Nenadi Usman of the Labour Party (LP) made history as the first female national chairperson of a political party in the country to attend such meetings.

Meanwhile, INEC has approved the registration of two new political parties, bringing the number of registered parties in the country to 21 ahead of the 2027 general election, just as the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) urged INEC to conduct all elections on the same day to avoid electoral fraud.

This was as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof NentaweYilwatda, decried the systematic disenfranchisement of thousands of eligible Nigerian voters ahead of the 2027 general elections, especially security operatives, journalists and others on election duty.

He called it a major but often overlooked factor in low voter turnout.
At the INEC meeting, the Abdulrahman Mohammed faction backed by Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, was given access, while the Kabiru Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP was notably absent.

According to Anyanwu, a judgment delivered last week by the Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State, has effectively settled the leadership dispute in the party and cleared the way for  fast recovery for the PDP.
He maintained that the PDP had already prepared its candidates for the forthcoming Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections and positioning itself to win the election.

AT the meeting, LP described the INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, as a round peg in a round hole, noting the regularising of the Usman-led Caretaker Committee as the authentic leadership of the party and inviting the LP boss to the meeting as evidence of impartiality and rectitude.

In a statement by the Special Assistant to the LP Chairperson, Ken Asogwa, the party reiterated its commitment to democratic values, internal cohesion and constructive engagement with relevant stakeholders in the advancement of Nigeria’s democracy.”

Further, the party rejoiced at the invitation of Usman to the quarterly meeting, saying it remained profoundly grateful to its teeming supporters for their patience, resilience and unwavering faith in the party; to the media for their professionalism and courage in standing on the side of truth; and to all lovers of democracy in Nigeria who stood by the party throughout the trying period.

Usman, whose appointment as LP Caretaker Committee was upheld by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in a judgment delivered on January 21, served as representative of Kaduna South Senatorial District in the Seventh National Assembly.

AMUPITAN disclosed the new parties – Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) – at the Abuja meeting. The development leaves Nigeria with 21 political parties.

The INEC boss said the decision followed a rigorous assessment process in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Electoral Act 2022, and INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties.
According to him, INEC had received 171 letters of intent from associations seeking registration as political parties.

After an initial screening, he noted, 14 associations were prequalified to proceed to the next stage of the process, while only eight successfully uploaded the required documentation on the Commission’s dedicated portal.

The eight associations included the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), Citizens Democratic Alliance (CDA), Abundance Social Party (ASP), African Alliance Party (AAP), Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), Green Future Party (GFP), National Democratic Party (NDP) and the Peoples Freedom Party (PFP).

SPEAKING at a meeting of chairmen and secretaries of political parties with INEC, Yilwatda said many citizens were denied the right to vote on election day because of the critical roles they play in safeguarding the electoral process.

He identified INEC ad hoc staff, security personnel, civil society observers, medical personnel, journalists and other essential support workers as key examples of citizens who are routinely deployed during elections but unable to cast their ballots.

“These same citizens are later counted among those accused of voter apathy, though their absence from polling units is a direct consequence of serving the nation,” Yilwatda said.

The APC chief emphasised that the contradiction “calls for urgent policy reflection”, particularly on the long-debated issue of early voting as a potential solution.