11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

51 parties registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 2007 ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 23689]

"The constitution and law provide for the right to associate freely with other persons in political parties, trade unions, or special interest associations, and the government generally respected this right in practice. The constitution and law allow the free formation of political parties. There were 51 parties registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at year's end."

Document(s): Open document

06.2007 - Source: Freedom House

Political parties represent wide array of positions; in September 2006 7 opposition parties merged into Action Congress (AC) ("Freedom in the World 2007") [ID 20557]

"Major political parties include the ruling PDP, the ANPP, the National Democratic Party, the Alliance for Democracy, and the People’s Redemption Party. Political parties represent a wide array of policy positions, and openly engaged in debate and electoral campaigning in 2006. In September 2006, seven opposition parties merged into an umbrella party called the Action Congress (AC), with the goal of wresting power from the PDP in 2007 general elections. Vice President Atiku Abubakar was nominated as the AC’s presidential candidate in December 2006."

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

46 parties are registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19727]

"The constitution and law allow the free formation of political parties. There were 46 parties registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at year's end, with the majority of those parties formed during the year to contest the 2007 elections."

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

The law allows people who left their existing party to form a new one ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19879]

"The country's electoral law allowed those who felt they had been disenfranchised to leave their existing party and form a new one."

Document(s): Open document

09.2006 - Source: Freedom House

Major political parties ("Freedom in the World 2006") [ID 18149]

"Major political parties include the ruling PDP, the ANPP, the National Democratic party, the Alliance for Democracy, and the People's Redemption Party."

Document(s): Open document

08.2006 - Source: Norwegian Country of Origin Information Center

Establishing political parties on basis of ethnicity, religion or regional origin is constitutionally not allowed ("Report on Fact-finding trip to Nigeria (Abuja, Lagos and Benin City) 12-26 March 2006") [ID 18714]

"In principle, Nigerian politicians and political parties cannot champion group interests when these are based on ethnicity, religion or regional origin. According to article 222 of the Nigerian constitution of 1999, paragraphs b and e, establishing political parties on basis of ethnicity, religion or regional origin is not allowed:

No association by whatever name called shall function as a political party, unless -

(a) the names and addresses of its national officers are registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission;

(b) the membership of the association is open to every citizen of Nigeria irrespective of his place of origin, circumstance of birth, sex, religion or ethnic grouping;

(c) a copy of its constitution is registered in the principal office of the Independent National Electoral Commission such form as may be prescribed by the Independent National Electoral Commission;

(d) any alteration in its registered constitution is also registered in the principal office of the Independent National Electoral Commission within thirty days of the making, of such alteration',

(e) the name of the association, its symbol or logo does not contain any ethnic or religious connotation or give the appearance that the activities of the association are confined to a part only of the geographical area of Nigeria; and

(f) the headquarters of the association is situated in the Federal Capital Abuja.10"

Document(s): Open document

23.05.2006 - Source: Amnesty International

Killings increased in violence between and within political parties ("Annual Report 2006") [ID 17511]

"Killings increased throughout the country in violence between and within political parties."

Document(s): Open document

01.2005 - Source: Danish Immigration Service

According to Nwankwo ANPP and AD represent the only real political opposition in the parliament ("Report on human rights issues in Nigeria: Joint British-Danish fact-finding mission to Abuja and Lagos, Nigeria (19 October to 2 November 2004)") [#30412],  [ID 20638]

"According to Nwankwo the only opposition parties that have not been subject to fullpatronage by the ruling PDP-party is the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), the Alliance forDemocracy (AD) and the All Progressive’s Grand Alliance (APGA).17 ANPP and ADperform “some political activities” and represent the only real political opposition in theparliament. However, APGA is active in the southeast and is closely affiliated with theseparatist Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) as ittakes some of its political basis from this Igbo movement. The government’s displeasurewith MASSOB “rubs off” on the Igbo-based APGA."

Document(s): Open document

24.06.2002 - Source: BBC News

BBC: Angry protests at a decision to allow just three new political parties to officially register for forthcoming national elections ("Nigerian parties angry at exclusion") [#7611],  [ID 14874]

"There have been angry protests in Nigeria at a decision to allow just three new political parties to officially register for forthcoming national elections. One of the 21 excluded parties, the National Conscience party of the human rights lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, says it will contest the decision by the electoral commission in court. A BBC correspondent in Nigeria says government opponents see the selection process as having been highly political; all three new parties are linked to powerful business and military figures. (…) In total there will now be six parties competing in local, state and national elections to be held in Nigeria over the coming months. Barring successful legal challenges, the parties allowed to contest them are: NDP - National Democratic Party, UNPP - the United Nigeria People's Party, APGA - the All Progressive Grand Alliance, People's Democratic Party, Alliance for Democracy, All Peoples Party. Our correspondent says the widespread expectation is that these elections will be marred by fraud and violence."

Document(s): Open document

28.02.2002 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Parties represented in parliament [ID 14873]

"(T)he PDP controls 20 of Nigeria’s 36 states, it is bitterly factionalised in at least seven states. All People’s Party (APP), which controls 10 states, is currently largely paralysed by a long-running crisis that has broken the party into several factions. Alliance for Democracy (AD), the smallest of the three, which won six states in the southwest region, including the commercial capital Lagos, has so far manifested the bloodiest crisis."

Document(s): Open document