AAP Heads To Court Over INEC’s Registration Of NDC

The African Alliance Party (AAP) has announced plans to challenge the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), describing the move as unlawful and a threat to Nigeria’s democratic process.

In a press release issued on Thursday from its National Secretariat in Abuja and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq, the party alleged that NDC was “deceitfully and mischievously” registered in place of AAP on February 5, 2026.

The party claimed there was no record to indicate that the NDC ever applied for registration as a political party. According to AAP, the association was not among the 14 pre-qualified groups, nor was it listed among the eight associations that uploaded required documents to INEC’s portal, paid administrative fees, and underwent verification exercises conducted by the commission.

AAP further stated that NDC was not among the two political associations reportedly approved for registration as published in national media on December 25, 2025. The party maintained that it participated fully in all stages of the registration process and was the first of the two associations approved, endorsed, and authorised for registration in December 2025 under the leadership of INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan.

Describing INEC’s action as “justice juxtaposed,” the party said rejecting AAP while registering what it termed a “contrived NDC” amounts to an assault on the electoral process and a continuation of exclusionary politics that undermine constitutional governance.

The AAP disclosed that its National Executive Committee (NEC) met in Abuja on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, and resolved to institute legal proceedings challenging INEC’s decision. The party is demanding the immediate deregistration of the NDC, which it described as the first step toward sanitising the democratic system.

The party also accused Prof. Amupitan of jeopardising the democratic process and overheating the polity by allegedly excluding a qualified political association while registering what it called an unqualified group to “appease a cabal.”

“Party registration is not a Valentine’s gift to a favoured association,” the statement read, warning that the INEC chairman’s integrity and reputation as a Professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria were at stake.

AAP urged the INEC chairman to “do the needful” by registering the African Alliance Party, insisting that citizens expect credible, transparent, and inclusive electoral management that meets international standards.

“The whole world is watching us,” the statement added.