Atiku, El-Rufai, Amaechi Seek INEC Approval For New Party, All Democratic Alliance (ADA)

A new political party called the All Democratic Alliance (ADA) has been formed by a group of opposition leaders, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, and ex-Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi.

The group, operating under the National Opposition Coalition, has subsequently applied to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register ADA as a political party.

The application, dated June 19, was acknowledged by INEC on Friday, showing the coalition’s intention to launch a new platform rather than join an existing one.

Sources say the move is backed by other political figures such as Umar Ardo, a former aide to President Olusegun Obasanjo and convener of the League of Northern Democrats.

The new party aims to take advantage of shifting political alliances and position itself as a major challenger to President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections.

This development comes shortly after INEC reminded political groups that party registration must follow strict constitutional and electoral procedures, regardless of public pressure or political interests.

According to INEC, registering a party involves more than just a public announcement, noting that it’s a detailed legal process.

The coalition’s decision to submit its application has ended weeks of speculation over whether they would revive an old political party or introduce a brand-new one.

A copy of the application letter, obtained in Abuja, was signed by Chief Akin A. Rickets and Abdullahi Elayo, who serve as the group’s Protem National Chairman and Secretary.

The letter requested that INEC register ADA as a political party, stating that the Nigerian National Coalition Group was sponsoring the application.

According to the letter, ADA will use the slogan “Justice for All” and has chosen maize (corn) as its symbol, representing abundance, resilience, and sustainability.

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 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.”

The group also submitted required documents such as its constitution, manifesto, logo, and records of key meetings.

“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 organization,” the letter added.

The letter concluded with a respectful appeal to INEC, “While we eagerly await further action from the Commission on the next step forward towards attaining our desired goal, please accept the consideration of our highest respect.”

Meanwhile, Atiku’s spokesperson, Paul Ibe, said he had no knowledge of the application.

When asked if he could confirm the authenticity of the documents, he replied, “I am not aware. Have you confirmed the veracity of the documents?”

After being assured that the documents were legitimate, Ibe maintained that he had not been informed.

“I have not been briefed about that. Of course, you know that what the coalition is doing is not under our purview. So, I am not aware of this,” he said.

KanyiDaily recalls that Paul Ibe previously revealed that Atiku Abubakar was in talks with other political figures, including Peter Obi and Nasir El-Rufai, to form a coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.