The Federal Government has responded to the Nigeria National Coalition Group’s (NNCG) application to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register a new political party, the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), ahead of the 2027 elections. The coalition—led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex‑Kaduna State Governor Nasir El‑Rufai—submitted its registration documents following a meeting in Abuja on Thursday. INEC confirmed receipt of the application on Friday.
Chief Akin Anderson Rickets, former Nigerian Ports Authority chairman under El‑Rufai’s ministerial tenure, will serve as the pro tempore national chairman of ADA. Abdullahi Musa Elayo, a former member of the House of Representatives from Nasarawa State, was named pro tempore national secretary.
In their letter to INEC, the group outlined:
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Party Name & Acronym: All Democratic Alliance (ADA)
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Slogan: “Justice for All”
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Attachments: Party logo (symbolizing colours and maize), manifesto, constitution, party flag, and minutes of the founding meeting
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Legal Compliance: Sections 40 and 222 of the Constitution and Section 75 of the Electoral Act (2022)
Prominent figures reportedly backing ADA include Peter Obi, Aminu Tambuwal, John Oyegun, Rauf Aregbesola, Abubakar Malami, Babachir Lawal, Uche Secondus, Osita Chidoka, and Nnenna Ukeje. The coalition aims to consolidate opposition forces into a single “credible alternative” to the ruling party.
But the Federal Government, through Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo, dismissed the effort as mere paperwork. In a post on X, Keyamo called the application “nothing but psychological warfare” and insisted it bore no comparison to the broad-based coalition that formed the APC in 2013. He argued that a handful of individuals exercising their right to form a political party did not constitute a genuine “coalition” or “merger.”
