The political coalition led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Anambra State Governor Peter Obi received a major boost on Thursday as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) cleared the All Democratic Alliance (ADA) alongside 13 other associations to proceed to the next stage of political party registration.
In a statement issued by the Commission after its regular meeting on September 11, 2025, INEC confirmed that 171 associations had submitted registration requests, out of which only 14 scaled through the initial requirements. The development signals renewed prospects for the coalition, which had first pushed for ADA’s registration before shifting its ambition to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The coalition’s adoption of ADC later became entangled in a leadership tussle between its appointed National Chairman and Secretary and the party’s former executives, a dispute that escalated into a legal battle. With ADA now back in play, political observers say the coalition may find a fresh platform to consolidate its ambition of unseating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.
INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, explained that each request was assessed based on compliance with the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, and the Commission’s guidelines.
He noted that 157 associations didn’t meet the criteria, while the 14 that met the requirements have been listed on INEC’s official platforms.
The pre-qualified groups include: African Transformation Party (ATP), All Democratic Alliance (ADA), Advance Nigeria Congress (ANC), Abundance Social Party (ASP), African Alliance Party (AAP), Citizens Democratic Alliance (CDA), Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), Grassroots Initiative Party (GRIP), Green Future Party (GFP), Liberation People’s Party (LPP), National Democratic Party (NDP), National Reform Party (NRP), Patriotic People’s Alliance (PPA), and Peoples Freedom Party (PFP).
INEC has sent invites to the interim Chairmen and Secretaries of the cleared associations to a briefing at its headquarters in Abuja on September 17, 2025.
The Commission also disclosed that physical verification of claims submitted by the associations will follow, after which a final decision on their registrability will be made.
Olumekun emphasized that political party registration remains a continuous process under Nigerian law, assuring that INEC will remain open to fresh applications from associations that meet all legal conditions.
