2027: Atiku, El-Rufai, Amaechi move to register ADA

 

• Amaechi’s loyalist writes INEC seeks approval
• Mark, Obi, Malami, Aregbesola among promoters
• It’s psychological warfare on Nigerians, says Keyamo

Opposition leaders led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi and the immediate past Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai have finally called off their fraternization with the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 election.

The group, Nigeria National Coalition Group (NNCG), yesterday opted to go solo by applying to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for registration as a new party.

All Democratic Alliance (ADA), as it wants to be known, has as its protem Chairman Chief Akin Anderson Rickets, Chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) when Amaechi was Minister of Transportation.

Other notable politicians said to be part of ADA are Peter Obi, Aminu Tambuwal, John Oyegun, Rauf Aregbesola, Abubakar Malami, Babachir Lawal, Uche Secondus, Osita Chidoka and Nnenna Ukeje.

The decision to seek registration as a party was reached at a meeting in Abuja on Thursday.

INEC acknowledged receipt of the application yesterday.

Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister Festus Keyamo mocked the party’s promoters for their inability to forge the coalition they had set out to do initially.

 “This is just a simple application for party registration. There is nothing like a ‘coalition’ here,” Keyamo said on X.

“It is an unnecessary hype the promoters have been struggling to create all along. It is just a psychological warfare on Nigerians – a weak attempt at mass appeal,” he said.

Rickets, a former commissioner for Information in Cross River State, in a letter attached to the registration application form, said: “We respectfully write to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, requesting the registration of our association, the All Democratic Alliance, ADA, 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 National Secretariat of the party is as stated at the bottom of the association’s letterhead used in this application.

“We have also herewith attached our logo describing in details the symbolism of our party colours and their configuration and the corn (Maize).

“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, regulates our affairs and guides our actions in alignment with Section 40 and 222 of the Constitution, Section 75 of the Electoral Act (2022) and global democratic principles and objectives.

“Please find attached the following documents: our party flag depicting our name, acronym and slogan, manifesto, constitution and minutes of meeting.

“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.”

Amaechi and Dr Umar Ardo who was Special Adviser on Research and Strategy to Vice President Atiku Abubakar during the Obasanjo Presidency, in a joint statement traced the formation of the group to a May 6, 2025 meeting in Abuja.