The African Alliance Party (AAP) has said it will challenge the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in court over the registration of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The party is demanding the deregistration of the NDC, alleging that it was deceitfully and mischievously registered by the electoral body.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq, the AAP disclosed that its National Executive Committee (NEC) had authorised legal action against INEC and accused the commission’s chairman, Joash Amupitan, of jeopardising the democratic process.
“NDC was deceitfully and mischievously registered by INEC in place of African Alliance Party on 5th February 2026, knowing full well that the association was not part of the 14 pre-qualified associations, not among the eight associations that uploaded their documents into INEC portal, paid administrative fees and verification exercise carried out by the commission, and definitely not among the two political associations INEC approved to be registered as reported in the national media of 25th December 2025,” the statement read.
According to the AAP, it participated in all required processes and was the first of the two associations approved, endorsed and authorised for registration in December 2025 under Amupitan’s leadership.
“To reject AAP for a contrived NDC is justice juxtaposed, an assault on the ongoing electoral process and politics of exclusion that has impeded the nation’s constitutional governance. It shall be resisted in the national interest and our collective quest for sustainable democracy,” the party stated.
The AAP said its NEC met in Abuja on February 17, 2026, and resolved, among other decisions, to challenge INEC’s registration of the NDC in court and demand its deregistration.
“The deregistration of NDC is the first step in sanitising the democratic system. Prof Amupitan has already soiled his hand in this matter, questioning his capacity, integrity and patriotism as the chairman of the electoral management body who ought to live above board as so much is required of him in conducting credible, transparent and inclusive elections that meet international standards,” the statement added.
The party further stated that the registration of a political party is not a “Valentine’s gift to a favoured association” and warned that Amupitan’s integrity and reputation as a Professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria were at stake.
“Citizens expect him to do the needful by registering African Alliance Party. The whole world is watching us,” the AAP said.
As of the time of filing this report, INEC had not issued an official response to the allegations.
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