Opposition parties are intensifying efforts to expand their national structures, grow membership and secure wider voter support ahead of campaigns for gubernatorial elections opening today.
The 22 political parties currently recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are Accord (A), Action Alliance (AA), Action Democratic Party (ADP), Action Peoples Party (APP), African Action Congress (AAC), African Democratic Congress (ADC), All Progressives Congress (APC), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), and Boot Party (BP).
Others are Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), Labour Party (LP), National Democratic Party (NDP), National Rescue Movement (NRM), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Young Progressive Party (YPP), Youth Party (YP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
BusinessDay findings showed that only a few of the 22 parties, notably the APC, PDP and ADC, have a significant semblance of nationwide spread. The PDP, however, has been weakened by years of internal crisis. The ruling party, on its part, reopened its electronic membership registration to further expand its base ahead of the polls. So far, it claims 12 million members, according to its officials.
