2027: Atiku, Amaechi, El-Rufai, Obi Lead Breakaway Bloc, Float New Party ‘All Democratic Alliance, ADA’
In a major political realignment ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, prominent opposition figures including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi, and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai have abandoned ongoing coalition talks with existing parties and filed an application with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register a new political party — the All Democratic Alliance (ADA).
The move, led by the Nigeria National Coalition Group (NNCG), marks the official departure from earlier flirtations with the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The newly proposed party, ADA, has named former Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Chairman, Chief Akin Anderson Rickets, as its protem national chairman. Other big political names reportedly aligned with ADA include Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, former Governors Aminu Tambuwal and Rauf Aregbesola, ex-APC national chairman John Oyegun, former Justice Minister Abubakar Malami, Babachir Lawal, Uche Secondus, Osita Chidoka, and former lawmaker Nnenna Ukeje.
According to a letter submitted alongside the application, Rickets stated:
“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.”
He added that the group has also submitted its party logo, manifesto, and constitution in line with legal requirements, describing ADA’s ideology as rooted in democratic principles, justice, and national renewal.
“This development is a bold response to the loud yearning by Nigerians for a credible third force,” said Dr. Umar Ardo, Secretary of ADA’s Platform Committee and former aide to Atiku Abubakar.
The NNCG said the decision to transform into a political party was finalized at a meeting held Thursday in Abuja. The group approved the ADA constitution, logo, and manifesto, and appointed Abdullahi Musa Elayo, a former member of the House of Representatives from Nasarawa State, as protem national secretary.
With their registration request now before INEC, ADA’s interim leadership is moving quickly to operationalize the new platform by opening a national secretariat, setting up offices, creating a party bank account, and mobilizing support across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
However, the move has been met with skepticism and criticism from some quarters. Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, dismissed the formation of ADA as “an unnecessary hype.”
“This is just a simple application for party registration. There is nothing like a ‘coalition’ here,” Keyamo wrote on X.
“It is just a psychological warfare on Nigerians – a weak attempt at mass appeal… If they are thinking of recreating what the APC did in 2013, then this is nothing but a pedestrian joke; a complete mockery of that seismic political coalition that birthed APC.”
Keyamo added that the application lacked the depth and legitimacy of a true political merger:
“A few individuals exercising their constitutional right to form a new political party cannot be described as a ‘coalition’ or even a ‘merger’. This is no different from several political associations springing up every day.”
Despite the criticism, supporters of ADA insist that the party represents a fresh opportunity for Nigerians disillusioned with both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the embattled Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which continues to suffer from internal divisions and leadership crises.
The group’s backers hope to position ADA as a formidable alternative that could reshape the political landscape in 2027 by uniting disenchanted voters and political heavyweights under a common banner. Whether the ADA will gain INEC’s approval remains to be seen, but for now, the application signals the formal beginning of what could be a high-stakes political journey.
