The National Opposition Coalition Group, spearheaded by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has formally submitted an application to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the registration of a new political party, the All Democratic Alliance (ADA).
The application, dated 19 June and acknowledged by INEC on Friday, signals the coalition’s intent to launch a fresh political platform rather than joining an existing party. Key political figures backing the ADA include former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi and Umar Ardo, convener of the League of Northern Democrats and former aide to President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The coalition aims to leverage growing public dissatisfaction and political realignments ahead of the next general election, with the goal of challenging President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The submission follows INEC’s recent reminder to political groups that party registration must strictly adhere to constitutional and electoral laws, underscoring that registration is a legal process rather than a political statement.
The letter of application, signed by ADA’s Protem National Chairman, Chief Akin A. Rickets, and Protem National Secretary, Abdullahi Elayo, requests INEC to register the party under the name All Democratic Alliance, acronym ADA, with the slogan “Justice for All”.
The letter partly read, “We respectfully write to the Independent National Electoral Commission, requesting the registration of our association, the All Democratic Alliance, as a political party.
“This is a sequel to the decision taken by the Nigerian National Coalition Group to sponsor our association for full registration.
“The name of the party shall be All Democratic Alliance with ADA as our acronym and ‘Justice for All’ as our slogan.”
Along with the application, the coalition provided key documents including the party’s constitution, manifesto, logo, and minutes from foundational meetings. The party’s symbol, a maize cob, represents abundance, resilience, and sustenance—values the ADA intends to promote.
“We have further attached our manifesto encompassing details of our party ideology and our constitution providing the legal framework that defines our identity, structures, and organisation,” the letter read.
The manifesto outlines the party’s ideology, while the constitution sets out its legal framework, organisational structure, and identity.