The National Opposition Coalition Group, led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has formally applied to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register a new political party named the All Democratic Alliance (ADA).

 

The coalition’s application, dated June 19 and acknowledged by INEC on Friday, puts to rest weeks of speculation about whether the group would adopt an existing platform or create a fresh political identity.

 

Joining Atiku and El-Rufai in the new alliance are political figures like former Rivers Governor Rotimi Amaechi and Umar Ardo, convener of the League of Northern Democrats and former aide to President Olusegun Obasanjo.

 

The coalition says the party aims to harness growing public dissatisfaction and shifting political alliances in a bid to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s hold on power in 2027.

 

“We respectfully write to the Independent National Electoral Commission, requesting the registration of our association, the All Democratic Alliance, as a political party,” reads part of the application letter signed by the group’s Protem National Chairman, Chief Akin A. Rickets, and Protem National Secretary, Abdullahi Elayo.

 

 

 

INEC has repeatedly warned that party registration is governed strictly by constitutional and electoral guidelines, cautioning that political sentiment or elite pressure will not influence its decisions.

 

The ADA’s application includes required documents such as:

 

Party constitution

 

Manifesto

 

Logo

 

Minutes of foundational meetings

 

 

The party’s symbol features a maize (corn), which the coalition says symbolizes abundance, resilience, and sustenance—values they claim will anchor their political ideology.

 

With the slogan “Justice for All,” ADA is positioning itself as a unifying alternative to Nigeria’s current political establishment.