• 21 Jun, 2025
• Faith Kegh
• No comment

Atiku, El-Rufai, Amaechi Apply to Register New Political Party – ADA.

A coalition of prominent opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasi

r El-Rufai, and former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, has formally applied to register a new political party called the All Democratic Alliance (ADA) ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.

The move signals a break from earlier alliances with existing parties like the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and African Democratic Congress (ADC). The application for party registration was submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), with Chief Akin Anderson Rickets named as the party’s interim chairman. Rickets is a former Commissioner for Information in Cross River State and ex-chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority.

    Prominent Figures Involved

The list of ADA backers includes several high-profile political figures such as:

  Peter Obi
  Aminu Tambuwal
  John Oyegun
  Rauf Aregbesola
  Abubakar Malami
  Babachir Lawal
  Uche Secondus
  Osita Chidoka
  Nnenna Ukeje

A former federal lawmaker, **Abdullahi Musa Elayo**, has been appointed interim national secretary.

    Formation Process

According to Amaechi and Dr. Umar Ardo—former adviser to Atiku during the Obasanjo administration the group originated from a May 6, 2025 meeting in Abuja. On Thursday, the coalition approved ADA’s constitution, manifesto, logo, and leadership structure.

The party’s slogan is “Justice for All”, and its logo includes a maize symbol, reflecting the group’s grassroots appeal. The documents submitted to INEC include the party’s constitution, manifesto, minutes of meetings, and administrative details.

    Objectives and Plans

The ADA aims to serve as a credible alternative to Nigeria’s dominant political parties and intends to attract disillusioned voters from across the political spectrum, particularly those disenchanted with the internal conflicts within the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

The party plans to establish a national secretariat, open regional offices, and operate within the framework of the 2022 Electoral Act and Nigeria’s constitution.

    Keyamo Responds

In response to the registration effort,Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, dismissed the initiative as lacking the depth of a true political coalition.

He stated:

  “This is simply a registration application. There is no coalition. It’s a weak attempt at public influence—nothing close to what happened with APC in 2013.”

Keyamo criticized the framing of the initiative as a political force and argued that it represents only a few individuals exercising their right to form a party.

    INEC Guidelines

Under INEC’s rules, a group seeking registration as a political party must:

  Apply using official forms (in 50 copies)
  Provide names, signatures, and addresses of its officers
  Pay a non-refundable fee of ₦1 million
  Submit a draft constitution, manifesto, and evidence of offices in at least 24 states and the FCT

INEC will review these materials before confirming or rejecting the registration.

Amaechi has previously accused INEC of obstructing the registration of new parties.

The ADA’s application is now under review, and its promoters await INEC’s decision.

Faith Kegh

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