…as INEC receives 110 associations seeking registration
A hurdle looms for the opposition coalition leaders as their platform, All Democratic Alliance (ADA), whose application for registration is pending before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), shares the same acronym as another platform seeking registration with the electoral commission.
The other platform is the Advanced Democratic Alliance (ADA), which is number 110 on the list after the coalition’s ADA, which is listed as 109 registrants on the commission’s log.
Last week, the coalition group submitted ADA for registration before INEC.
On Wednesday, INEC released a list of political platforms seeking registration to become parties. According to the list, 110 political associations have applied so far.
The emergence of two ADAs on the list is a throwback to the drama surrounding the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2013.
The unfolding saga over the similar acronyms might set the electoral body on a familiar path back in 2013, when the then-mega opposition platform All Progressives Congress (APC) was formed.
According to its rules and practice, INEC does not register associations with similar names, logos, and acronyms to avoid confusion.
Recall that shortly after three (now defunct) opposition political parties, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and a faction of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) merged into the new APC, another group with the same acronym known as the African Peoples Congress emerged and applied to the INEC to be registered as a political party.
Two other groups, All Patriotic Citizens (APC) and All Progressives Congress of Nigeria (APCN) also emerged to seek registration with INEC as political parties.
The emergence of the other APC platforms triggered allegations and counter-allegations, especially between the then-merger parties and the African Peoples Congress.
INEC and the then-ruling party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), were accused of complicity in the drama.
After an intense back-and-forth, INEC disqualified the African Peoples Congress, saying the association breached Section 222 (a) of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, as amended.
However, while both ADAs listed their head offices as Abuja, their party logos and flags differ.
The coalition’s ADA has Chief Akin A. Ricketts and Abdullahi Musa Elayo as their chairman and protem secretary. In contrast, the other ADA has Alhaji Ahmadu Suleiman and Zipporah Pus Miracle as national chairman and protem secretary.
The coalition ADA’s office is on the Ground Floor of the UAC Complex, Plot 273, Samuel Adesujo Ademulegun Street, CBD, Abuja, FCT.
The other ADA is No 1, Frandriance Close, Off Oda Crescent, Off Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja.
Umar Ardo, a key convener of the Coalition group, played down the situation, adding that they applied before the other association.
Ardo told LEADERSHIP, “No problem. We’re there before them,” he said.
110 Associations Seek INEC registration
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has received letters of intent from 110 associations to register as political parties.
Some of the associations are the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), Advanced Democratic Alliance (ADA), Absolute Congress (ABC), Key Freedom Party (KFP), All Grassroots Party (AGP), Congress Action Party (CAP), United Social Democratic Party (USDP), National Action Congress Party (NACP), Great Alliance Party (GAP), New Nigerian Congress (NNC), United Peoples Victory Party (UPVP), and Allied Conservative Congress (ACC).
Others include People’s Freedom Party (PFP), All Nigerians’ Party (ANP), Abundant Social Party (ASP), Citizens Party of Nigeria (CPN), National Freedom Party (NFP), Patriots Party (PP), Movement of the People (MDP), Peoples National Congress (PNC), African Union Congress (AUC), Alliance of Patriot(AOP), Socialist Equality Party (SEP), About Nigeria Party (ABNP), African Reformation Party (ARP) and Accelerated African Development Association (AADA).
INEC chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu disclosed this at the commission’s second regular consultative meeting with media executives on Wednesday at its headquarters in Abuja.
Yakubu said INEC was diligently processing the requests according to the procedure outlined in the law and its regulations and guidelines.
He said the commission had acknowledged all requests received so far except six recently received ones, which will be done before the end of the week.
“As of Monday, 23rd June, 2025, the Commission has received letters of intent from 110 associations that wish to register as political parties.
“We diligently process the requests per the procedure outlined in the law and our Regulations and Guidelines. We have acknowledged all requests received so far, except six of them received recently, which will be done before the end of the week.
“For emphasis, I wish to inform Nigerians, particularly those interested in registering new political parties, that the handbook containing the Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties 2022 is already available on the Commission’s website.
He said the list would be uploaded to INEC’s website and social media platforms shortly for transparency and public information.