Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, former director of voter education and publicity at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says there must proper screening of associations seeking party registration to curb voter confusion.
Speaking during an interview on The Morning Show, an Arise Television programme on Friday, Osaze-Uzzi expressed concern about the volume and similarity of political associations applying for party status ahead of the 2027 general election.
INEC had earlier confirmed it had received letters of intent from 110 associations seeking registration as political parties.
Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of INEC, said the commission was reviewing the applications in line with relevant laws and guidelines.
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But Osaze-Uzzi said the process must go beyond ticking boxes, adding that at least three of the associations use the acronym “ADA” — a detail he believes could easily mislead voters during elections.
“There are actually three ADAs on the list I saw that was published. There’s A-A-D-A and two A-D-As. They have different names, by the way, but the acronyms are quite similar and that can be confusing,” he said.
He warned that if the commission approves associations with similar acronyms or symbols, it could lead to voter confusion, misrepresentation, and a bloated ballot paper.
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“People say the ballot paper will start to look like a toilet roll because there are so many political parties. That may sound funny, but it’s a serious problem,” he added.
Osaze-Uzzi noted that while the current law prohibits INEC from registering a party with the same name or logo as an existing party, there is no legal provision preventing multiple new associations from adopting strikingly similar names or branding.
“The interesting thing is, the law says that you cannot register a political party if it has a similar name or logo with an existing political party. But it doesn’t say anything about two associations with similar names, acronyms or logos seeking to be registered,” he said.
Osaze-Uzzi said it is the duty of INEC to act as a fair and proactive regulator by initiating dialogue between associations whose identities might be too similar for public clarity.
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According to him, it is INEC’s duty to act as an “honest broker” to ensure that similar-looking parties do not make it onto the final ballot.
“There is supposed to be a filtering mechanism. INEC can call the associations together and say, ‘We have this challenge — one of you may have to change your name’,” he said.
Osaze-Uzzi also pointed to the emergence of associations riding on popular political sentiments, such as the “Obidients” movement, noting that more than one new group had attempted to incorporate that label in their proposed names.
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