Abuja, June 12, 2025 — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has denied claims that his administration is obstructing the registration of new political parties in Nigeria.
Addressing a joint session of the National Assembly on Thursday as part of activities marking Democracy Day, Tinubu said his government had never issued any directive to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to halt party registrations.
“I have never stopped the registration of any political party,” the President stated.
This clarification comes amid allegations that the administration is working to turn Nigeria into a one-party state dominated by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Dismissing such claims, Tinubu stressed that the APC had no intention of closing its ranks to new entrants and that the recent influx of opposition members should not be misconstrued as part of a wider political agenda.
“The APC would be guilty of political malpractice if it closed its doors to those who now seek to join,” Tinubu said.
Welcoming new defectors from Delta and Akwa Ibom States, Tinubu extended an invitation to others, describing the APC as an inclusive platform for progressive governance.
“You are all welcome to the progressives forum,” he told new members.
The President, however, took a swipe at opposition parties, accusing them of internal disarray and refusing to take responsibility for their troubles.
“I will not help the opposition to put their houses in order,” Tinubu said.
“It is indeed a pleasure to watch your houses in disarray.”
His comments follow a wave of defections across the country, with several opposition politicians abandoning their parties for the APC in recent months.
Democracy Day, held annually on June 12, commemorates Nigeria’s struggle for democratic rule and honours the memory of the annulled 1993 election widely regarded as the freest and fairest in the nation’s history.
