The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), a new group seeking political party status, has not yet met the necessary conditions for registration.
INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr Sam Olumekun, disclosed on Tuesday, June 24, this during an interactive session with journalists in Abuja.
“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 ADA’s latest move included a letter dated June 19, addressed to “The Chairman, Independent National Commission (INEC),” notably omitting the word “electoral” from the commission’s official name.
The document was co-signed by Akin Ricketts, listed as the group’s protem national chairman, and Abdullahi Musa Elayo, its protem national secretary.
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Although speculation links the ADA movement to prominent political figures such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-governors Nasir El-Rufai and Rotimi Amaechi, former Senate President David Mark, and Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, there has been no formal confirmation of their involvement.
INEC reiterated that there are no shortcuts in the registration process. “Associations seeking recognition as political parties must comply strictly with the provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act and INEC’s guidelines,” Olumekun emphasised.
Meanwhile, INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, is expected to meet with leaders of Nigeria’s 19 registered political parties on Thursday at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
The meeting, part of a broader consultative session, will include representatives from civil society, the media, and the country’s security agencies.
It will be co-chaired by Professor Yakubu and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).
A senior INEC official said Professor Yakubu would also address the ADA matter and related political developments during the Thursday engagement.