The Movement of the People (MOP), a Scientific-Socialist political organisation inspired by the legacy of Afrobeat icon Fela Kuti, has launched a national advocacy initiative titled “Register To Rise: The People’s Voice for Electoral Justice”.
The campaign is aimed at challenging what the group describes as systemic barriers to political inclusion in Nigeria.
At the heart of the campaign is a singular, urgent demand: the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must register MOP as a political party before the expected statutory deadline in February 2026, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement released during the launch in Abuja, MOP decried what it termed INEC’s prolonged and unjustified refusal to register new political parties.
“Nigeria’s democracy cannot thrive when the political space is continuously restricted,” a spokesperson for MOP stated.
“Since 2018, no new political party has been registered, while 72 were deregistered. This severely limits political choices for citizens and erodes democratic representation.”
According to the movement, it has made four formal attempts to register with INEC since 2021, the most recent being on March 1, 2025.
Despite fulfilling all statutory requirements on each occasion, MOP claims the electoral body has failed to respond adequately, stalling the group’s ambition to contest future elections and contribute to Nigeria’s political discourse.
“This is not just about MOP,” the spokesperson added. “This is about protecting the right of all Nigerians to organise politically and challenge the status quo. A democracy must allow for new voices and fresh ideas.”
The Register To Rise campaign will leverage both digital mobilisation and offline grassroots engagements, while also fostering alliances with civil society organisations, other aspiring political movements, and concerned citizens.
The group said it hopes to build a broad coalition to demand electoral justice and democratic inclusion.
MOP is calling on the public and stakeholders in the democratic process to rally behind the campaign and pressure INEC to act in the spirit of equity, transparency, and constitutional duty.
