The Independent National Electoral Commission on Friday in Abuja said it had approved the registration of the Unity Party of Nigeria.
This is contained in a statement signed by the Commission’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mr Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, .
It said that the registration of the party was approved at the last meeting of the commission.
“The commission at its meeting held on Thursday April 17, approved the registration of the UPN, the applicant having met the legal requirements for registration.
“The registration of UPN brings to 26 the total number of political parties in Nigeria,” it said.
Commenting on the development, Mr Adedeji Salau, the UPN National Publicity Secretary, said in a statement posted on the party’s website that the journey was a long and tedious one.
Salau thanked all Nigerian patriots who had kept faith with the party.
“There has never been any occasion before now when an unregistered party has generated so much interest as that of the UPN,” he said.
The party also promised to make the needed difference, saying “with the UPN, it shall not be business as usual.
“We will always remember the sons and daughters with whom we are in the philosophy of serving the generality of Nigerian people.
“Ours is the pursuit of an egalitarian society, serving the greatest good of the greatest number.
“We owe it to the Nigerian people in all the states and the geographical zones to be fair to all in dispensation of justice,” it said.
According to the statement, the UPN shall hold the freedom of the press and individual sacrosanct.
“To us the independence of the judiciary is the cornerstone of the rule of law which is indispensable in a democratic society, we shall guide it jealously,” it said.
It added: “We shall keep faith to the four cardinal programmes of the old UPN because of its comprehensiveness in addressing the core issues of the problem of this nation.”
The party, in the statement, also extended its hands of fellowship to all the political parties to elevate the country’s democratic practices.
It also commended the officials of INEC for their painstaking efforts in registering the party.