If you’re asked to mention political parties in Nigeria, I’m sure you’ll first mention APC and PDP. These are the two dominant political parties in Nigeria and they’ve been at the top for the past 8 years at least. There are many other political parties in Nigeria aside APC and PDP.
During elections, you do see all of these political parties on ballot papers. However, you may not know them because they are not very popular and have few members. Nevertheless, in this post, I’ve listed out all of Nigerian political parties; not just the current ones but all political parties that have existed in Nigeria since independence.
Check them out below;
First Republic
Between 1963 and 1966, the First Republic was Nigeria’s republican government, controlled by the first republican constitution. Nigeria won independence from the United Kingdom on October 1, 1960, but it was until a new constitution was adopted in 1963, that the country became a republic.
The governance of the country was based on the federal Westminster system. The First Republic is also considered the period from October 1, 1960, when the country won independence, and January 15, 1966, when the country’s first military coup d’état occurred.
During this time, the first Republic of Nigeria was administered by many leaders who represented their regions as premiers in a federation. Below is the list of political parties during this period;
- Action Group (AG)
- Borno Youth Movement (BYM)
- Convention People’s Party of Nigeria and the Cameroons
- Democratic Party of Nigeria and Cameroon (DPNC)
- Dynamic Party (DP)
- Igala Union (IU)
- Igbira Tribal Union (ITU)
- Kano People’s Party (KPP)
- Lagos State United Front (LSUF)
- Mabolaje Grand Alliance (MGA)
- Midwest Democratic Front (MDF)
- National Independence Party (NIP)
- National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons/National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC)
- Niger Delta Congress (NDC)
- Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP)
- Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU)
- Northern People’s Congress (NPC)
- Northern Progressive Front (NPF)
- Republican Party (RP)
- United Middle Belt Congress (UMBC)
- United National Independence Party (UNIP)
- Zamfara Commoners Party (ZCP)
Second Republic
General Murtala Mohammed, Nigeria’s military Head of State, was assassinated in 1976, and his replacement, General Olusegun Obasanjo, began the transition process to end military rule in 1979. The Westminster form of governance which had previously been utilized in the First Republic was replaced with an American-style Presidential system in a new constitution.
In 1979, Alhaji Shehu Shagari of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) was elected president after a series of elections in which five political parties competed. Obasanjo handed over power to Shagari peacefully, becoming the first head of state in Nigerian history to do so. Shehu Shagari was sworn in as the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s first President and Commander-in-Chief on October 1, 1979 to begin the second republic.
Below is the list of political parties during this period;
- Greater Nigerian People’s Party (GNPP)
- National Party of Nigeria (NPN)
- Nigeria Advance Party (NAP)
- Nigerian People’s Party (NPP)
- People’s Redemption Party (PRP)
- Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN)
- Movement of the People Party (MPP)
Third Republic
The Nigerian Third Republic (1992–1993) was a failed attempt to re-establish democracy in the country. General Ibrahim Babangida was the one who started it and it’s also known as the Abortive Republic
Babangida enabled civilian governors to be elected in each state, and they took office in January 1992, followed by the election of civilian President M.K.O. Abiola in 1993. However, Abiola’s election was nullified, and in November 1993, General Sani Abacha took over as president, replacing civilian governors with military administrators. Here are the political parties;
- National Republican Convention (NRC)
- Social Democratic Party (SDP)
Fourth and Present Republic
The Fourth Republic is the present Nigerian republic which began in 1999 with Olusegun Obasanjo winning the presidency. It follows a similar structure as the second republic but with a new constitution. This republic is the longest and so has the highest number of political parties.
Check them below;
It follows a similar structure as the second republic but with a new constitution. This republic is the longest and so has the highest number of political parties.
Check them below;
- Aboki Wawa Arewa Movement (AWAM)
- African Action Congress (AAC)
- Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP)
- Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD)
- All Blended Party (ABP)
- Alliance for Democracy (AD)
- Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN)[1]
- Action Democratic Party (Nigeria) (ADP)
- Advanced Peoples Democratic Alliance (APDA)[2]
- All Democratic Peoples Movement (ADPM)
- All Progressives Congress (APC)
- African Democratic Congress (ADC)
- All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)
- All People’s Party (APP)
- African Renaissance Party [ARP]
- Because Of Our Tomorrow [BOOT Party][3]
- Conscience People’s Congress [CPC]
- Communist Party of Nigeria (CPN)
- Citizens Popular Party (CPP)
- Democratic Alternative (DA)
- Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM)
- Grassroot Patriotic Party (GPP)
- Justice Must Prevail Party (JMPP)
- KOWA Party (KP)[4]
- Labour Party (LP)
- Masses Movement of Nigeria (MMN)
- Mega People Political Party
- Movement of the People Party (MOP)
- National Interest Party (NIP)
- New Democrats (ND)
- New Generations Party of Nigeria (NGP)
- New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP)
- Nigeria For Democracy (NFD)
- National Democratic Party (NDP)
- National Rescue Movement (NRM)
- Nigeria Poor People Party (NPPP)
- People’s Democratic Party (PDP)[5]
- Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA)
- People Progressive Party (PPP)
- People’s Redemption Party (PRP)
- People’s Salvation Party (PSP)
- Restoration Party of Nigeria (RP)
- Social Democratic Mega Party (SDMP)
- Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN)
- Social Democratic Party (SDP)
- United Nigeria People’s Party (UNPP)
- United Progressive Party (UPP)[6]
- Young Democratic Party (YDP)
- Young Progressive Party (YPP)
- Youth Party (YP)
- Zenith Labour Party (ZLP)
- National Democratic Coalition (NADECO)
- Committee for National Consensus (CNC)
- Democratic Party of Nigeria (DPN)
- Grassroots Democratic Movement (GDM)
- National Centre Party of Nigeria (NCPN)
- United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP)
- Justice Party (JP)
Bottom Line
There you go! Nigerian have seen so many political parties in past and many can boast of having candidates in office. However, currently, only two parties in Nigeria have the most bragging rights – the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the All People’s Congress (APC).