The National Opposition Coalition Group, led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on Friday, took a step closer to becoming a political party as it formally applied to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
If registered, the party would be known as the All Democratic Alliance, ADA.
On Friday, the electoral commission, on its part, acknowledged the application for the new party, dated June 19, 2025.
With the acknowledgement by INEC on Friday, the coalition sent a strong signal that it was resolute in it’s determination to become a political party instead of aligning with any existing political party.
The formation of ADA was masterminded by some other key political heavyweights, including former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, and Umar Ardo, convener of the League of Northern Democrats and former aide to President Olusegun Obasanjo.
With the application, ADA seeks to capitalise on mounting public dissatisfaction and political realignments to stop President Bola Tinubu at the 2027 Presidential election.
The application by ADA comes few days after INEC warned political groups that no amount of pressure or public sentiment would override the need for strict compliance with constitutional and electoral guidelines.
The commission reiterated that party registration remains a rigorous constitutional process—not merely a political declaration.
The application letter was jointly signed by the association’s Protem National Chairman, Chief Akin A. Rickets, and Protem National Secretary, Abdullahi Elayo.
It reads in part: “We respectfully write to the Independent National Electoral Commission, requesting the registration of our association, the All Democratic Alliance, as a political party.
“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 continued.
