The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has refuted reports suggesting the formal registration of a new political party, the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), stating that no group has met the legal prerequisites required for recognition as a political party.
INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr. Sam Olumekun, clarified that although the commission has received numerous letters of intent, none of them qualifies as a formal application for registration.
“The truth is that we have so many letters of intent presently and none of them is an application yet,” Olumekun said.
“They must first meet the criteria before submitting a letter of intent.”
The clarification comes amid increasing media speculation that ADA, a political initiative reportedly supported by opposition figures, had already initiated moves to gain INEC’s approval to participate in the 2027 general elections.
The All Democratic Alliance (ADA) surfaced recently as a proposed alternative political platform, allegedly backed by a coalition of opposition political heavyweights.
Among those reportedly associated with the initiative are former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Governors Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna) and Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), former Senate President David Mark, and Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
While no formal party structure has been made public, sources suggest the coalition is actively mobilising national support for a new political movement aimed at challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
INEC has reiterated that there are no shortcuts to the registration of a political party.
The commission emphasized that any group seeking political party status must strictly follow the procedures outlined in the 2022 Electoral Act and INEC’s internal regulations. The process starts with the submission of a letter of intent, followed by several stages of verification and compliance checks.
Key requirements include: submitting the proposed party name, acronym, and symbol; obtaining provisional approval for their use; paying administrative fees and completing Form EC 15A (1); uploading essential founding documents such as the party constitution, manifesto, title deed of the national headquarters, and a verified register of members; and demonstrating that the party’s executive members reflect the federal character of Nigeria, with representation from at least 24 states and the FCT.
Following the submission of these documents, INEC conducts additional assessments including physical inspection of the proposed headquarters and confirmation of national officers’ identities. Only after meeting all stipulated conditions will a certificate of registration be issued.
The commission’s guidelines stress that: “No association by whatever name called shall be registered as a political party unless the association submits to the chairman of the commission the following documents, which shall be administratively checked to ensure conformity…”
INEC also reserves the right to reject any application that fails to meet its requirements or includes false information, offences that could lead to prosecution under the Electoral Act.
