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By Oscar Okhifo, Abuja
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo has mocked the group and individuals behind a recent application to the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) for a registration of a new political party describing it as a joke.
In a move set to shake up Nigeria’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections, a coalition of major political eggheads announced it had applied to INEC to register a new political party to be known as “All Democratic Alliance” (ADA).
This development has drawn sharp criticism from the ruling party, with Keyamo, dismissing the move as “a joke.”
The application to register ADA was formally submitted to INEC on June 19, 2025, and acknowledged by the electoral body on June 20. The application was signed by Pro-tem National Chairman Akin Ricketts and Secretary Abdullahi Musa Elayo. It included the party’s constitution, manifesto, logo, and minutes of foundational meetings and deliberations.
According to the documents filed with INEC, the slogan of ADA shall be “Justice for All” with a maize symbol as logo. According to the the group, maize represents abundance, resilience, and sustenance.
The promoters of the new party include some of Nigeria’s most prominent politicians including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and ex-Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi.
The formation of ADA, political observers say, is an attempt by these politicians to sidestep the internal crises, litigations, and factional disputes plaguing their respective existing parties like the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Labor Party (LP)
The coalition hopes to create a level playing field for all its members under the new political shade.
But reacting to the development, Keyamo dismissed the initiative, calling it a “pedestrian joke” that bears no resemblance to the merger that gave birth to the APC in 2013. He accused the coalition of engaging in “psychological warfare” by hyping a mere application for party registration as though a formidable political structure has already been birthed.
“The so-called ADA is not a coalition of any existing political parties. It is just a few individuals exercising their constitutional right to form a new party. This is not comparable to the robust alliance that birthed the APC, which involved major political parties dissolving their structures to form a united front,” Keyamo stated.
Political analysts are of the view that while ADA’s emergence introduces a new dimension to the 2027 race, its viability and sustainability will depend on its ability to unite the fragmented opposition to build a nationwide acceptable structure capable of challenging the ruling APC whose leadership is no stranger to moves like these.
The battle lines for 2027 are fast being drawn, and the coming months promise intense political maneuvering and sagacity as Nigeria tilt closer to what may be one of its most fiercely contested elections in recent history.