• Modibbo Farakwai has claimed that Team New Nigeria has over 43 million members awaiting political registration
• The TNN president accused INEC of deliberate delays in party registration despite fulfilling requirements
• Farakwai said the TNN is open to coalition options amidst registration challenges and plans a national ratification conference

Abua, FCT – Modibbo Yakubun Farakwai, president of Team New Nigeria (TNN), has said the yet-to-be-registered political party has more than 43 million registered members across the country.

This is as Farakwai also accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of delaying the party’s registration despite allegedly fulfilling the statutory requirements.

Legit.ng gathers that he spoke on Monday, March 30, while delivering an inaugural address titled “Beyond Registration: Consolidating Our Numerical Strength and Strategic Partnerships for 2027.”

How is TNN preparing for political engagement?

Farakwai said the movement is strengthening its internal structures and mobilisation networks as it prepares for future political engagements.

“We stand here today at a defining intersection of history and destiny,” he said.

“The journey to birth a ‘New Nigeria’ is not for the faint-hearted; it is a marathon for the resilient, the visionary, and the brave.”

Farakwai said the party is building organisational capacity to navigate Nigeria’s political landscape.

“Today, we take a decisive step forward by strengthening our structural capacity to navigate the turbulent political waters ahead,” he said.

“It is my distinct honour to formally inaugurate the strategic engines of our movement, the organs that will drive our political engagement, policy formulation, and grassroots mobilisation as we approach the critical months ahead.”

The TNN president announced the inauguration of several strategic committees, including the national political engagement committee (NPEC), the nationwide reliability network committee (NRNC), the national policy and intellectual engagement committee (NPIEC), and the national conference organising committee.

He also unveiled mobilisation directorates for women, youths, students and persons with disabilities (PWDs).

Why is INEC delaying TNN’s approval?

Farakwai said the party has met constitutional and statutory requirements for registration but has yet to receive approval from INEC.

“Fellow compatriots, we must speak the unvarnished truth about our political reality,” he said.

“We have fulfilled every constitutional requirement and met every statutory obligation for registration.”

“Yet, we sit here today facing an inexplicable delay from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).”

He alleged that the delay was deliberate.

“Let us be clear: This is not a procedural failure. This is a tactical retreat by a terrified establishment,” he said.

“The ‘Old Order’ has seen our data. They have seen the faces of 43 million Nigerians rising as one.”

“They have looked at our map and realised that there is no corner of this federation where Team New Nigeria does not breathe. They blocked our name because they fear our numbers.”

TNN open to coalition amid certificate delays

Farakwai said the party may explore coalition options with existing political platforms if the delay persists.

“They believe that by withholding a certificate, they can stop a revolution,” he said.

“They are mistaken. A political party is not a piece of paper in an Abuja office; a political party is the collective heartbeat of the people.

“If they think they can trap us in a bureaucratic graveyard, they do not know the spirit of TNN. We will not wait for their permission to lead. If they deny us a name, we will use another.

“We will march under any banner that serves our purpose, but we will march with the same mission, the same muscle, and the same unstoppable force.

“Whether we arrive on the ballot as a registered party or as the soul of a formidable coalition, the result will be the same: The 43 million will be heard.”

Farakwai said the movement has already activated political engagement mechanisms to explore partnerships with existing parties. He added that the party remains open to partnerships but will not compromise its principles.

“We are not seeking a merger of convenience, but a Coalition of Purpose,” he said.

Farakwai said the party’s membership spans all local government areas and electoral wards in the country.

“We are a movement of over 43 million registered members spread across all 774 Local Government Areas and 8,809 electoral wards in Nigeria. We are the largest organised political demographic in Nigeria today,” he said.

Farakwai also announced that the movement will hold a national ratification conference on April 8. He said the theme of the conference is ‘Unite and Rebuild the Nation: A Path to a Greater Nigeria.’”

“We expect a massive gathering of two million members, including 9,985 statutory delegates,” he added.

2027: INEC registers two new political parties

Meanwhile, ahead of the 2027 election, INEC has registered two new political parties. Joash Amupitan, INEC chairman, announced the development on Thursday, February 5, at the commission’s first regular consultative meeting with political parties in Abuja.

The parties are: the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA).

Amupitan said the registration followed a rigorous assessment process after the commission received 171 letters of intent from associations seeking recognition as political parties.

Source: Legit.ng