Quote from GoodGovernance on April 30, 2026, 7:58 pm

 

The political landscape in Nigeria as of April 2026 is defined by 21 registered political parties, following the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) registration of two new entities in February 2026: the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). Recent elective national conventions have reshaped leadership across the major blocs, reflecting significant realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.

 

Major Political Parties (2026 Leadership & Analytics)

• All Progressives Congress (APC)
  • Leadership: Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda was re-elected as National Chairman, and Surajudeen Basiru as National Secretary at the March 2026 convention. The party adopted a consensus arrangement for its 25-member National Working Committee (NWC).
  • Membership & Influence: Remains the ruling party with a robust national structure. Its 2026 convention saw participation from 8,453 delegates across all 36 states and the FCT.
• African Democratic Congress (ADC)
  • Leadership: The party recently underwent a major transition, ratifying a new leadership including David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola. However, it faces fragmentation between three power centres, including the Mark-Aregbesola bloc and a faction in Gombe.
  • Membership & Influence: Has emerged as a primary opposition force due to a massive wave of defections from the PDP, APC, and LP. It currently holds the second-highest number of federal legislators. High-profile leaders now associated with the party include Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar.
• Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
  • Leadership: Hon. Abdulrahman Mohammed was elected National Chairman at the March 2026 convention, with Anyanwu Samuel Nnaemeka as National Secretary. The convention was marked by the emergence of a “Wike-backed” NWC.
  • Membership & Influence: Formerly the leading opposition, the party has struggled with internal crises and significant defections. Its 2026 convention recorded over 3,000 delegates.
• Labour Party (LP)
  • Leadership: Continues to face internal disputes, including an Abure-led faction rejecting court rulings that recognise rival factions.
  • Membership & Influence: While influential during the 2023 cycle, the party has seen several key figures, including Peter Obi and various Senators, pivot toward the ADC.

Party System Analytics

Researchers have noted that while the Analytical Study of Political Party Systems in Nigeria – ResearchGate highlights the need for democratic principles in leadership choice, many parties continue to rely on “consensus” arrangements. An AN EXAMINATION OF 2023 GENERAL ELECTIONS in the Wukari International Studies Journal indicates that membership strength often fluctuates based on “godfatherism” and elite jockeying rather than ideological consistency.

 

Complete List of Registered Parties (21 Total)

S/N	Party Name	Abbreviation
1	Accord	A
2	Action Alliance	AA
3	African Action Congress	AAC
4	African Democratic Congress	ADC
5	Action Democratic Party	ADP
6	All Progressives Congress	APC
7	All Progressives Grand Alliance	APGA
8	Allied Peoples Movement	APM
9	Action Peoples Party	APP
10	Boot Party	BP
11	Democratic Leadership Alliance	DLA
12	Labour Party	LP
13	New Nigeria Peoples Party	NNPP
14	National Rescue Movement	NRM
15	Nigeria Democratic Congress	NDC
16	Peoples Democratic Party	PDP
17	Peoples Redemption Party	PRP
18	Social Democratic Party	SDP
19	Young Progressives Party	YPP
20	Zenith Labour Party	ZLP
21	All Peoples Party	APP

(Note: Data reflects official INEC registrations and convention outcomes as of April 30, 2026.)

As of April 2026, Nigeria’s political parties have transitioned to digitized membership registers in compliance with the Electoral Act 2026, which requires parties to submit these registers to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of primaries. Current figures from official party e-registration drives reveal a significant gap between previous “manual” claims and verified digital totals. 

 

Verified Membership Strength (April 2026 Data)

 

Political Party	Registered Members (Digital)	Key Regional Strength
All Progressives Congress (APC)	~12.5 Million	Nationwide; roughly 50% are aged 18–35.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)	4,264,675	South West (953k) and South South (917k) lead regional counts.
African Democratic Congress (ADC)	656,143	Strongest in North East and North West following recent defections.

 

Analytical Breakdown by Party

• All Progressives Congress (APC):
  • Total: Surpassed 12.5 million members by early February 2026.
  • Demographics: The party reports a significant youth base, with over 13 million total members (including late-stage manual validations), of which roughly 50% are between ages 18 and 35.
  • Gender Split: Approximately 6.46 million males and 4.53 million females.
• Peoples Democratic Party (PDP):
  • Total: Officially hit 4.26 millionmembers as of March 31, 2026.
  • Regional Lean: Slightly North-heavy with 50.6% (2.16m) in the North vs. 49.4% (2.11m) in the South.
  • State Highs: Kaduna recorded the highest state registration with 408,915members.
• African Democratic Congress (ADC):
  • Total: Formally registered 656,143members nationwide.
  • Growth: While currently lower than the APC and PDP, it recorded over 650,000new registrations in just 11 days during its March 2026 drive, fueled by high-profile defections.
  • Target: The party is publicly targeting a 14-million-member threshold through its repositioning efforts. 

 

The Register Requirement & Inclusion

While parties are mandated to maintain registers, a study by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) noted that many parties lack disaggregated data for marginalized groups despite constitutional provisions for inclusion. The ongoing transition to digital records aims to address the disparity between “on-paper” claims and the actual number of voters a party can mobilize.