ADA: Atiku, El-Rufai’s coalition commits blunder in party registration request to INEC

A coalition of opposition leaders led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Kaduna governor Nasir el-Rufai has applied to register a new political party, but an error in their letter may jeopardize the process.

In a letter dated June 19 and addressed to “The Chairman, Independent National Commission,” the coalition requested the registration of the All Democratic Alliance (ADA). However, the word 'Electoral' was omitted from the name of the electoral body, which could raise red flags about the application’s validity.

The letter, co-signed by Akin Ricketts (interim national chairman) and Abdullahi Musa Elayo (pro tem national secretary), stated:

“We respectfully write to the Independent National Electoral Commission requesting the registration of our association, the All Democratic Alliance, as a political party.”

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A stamped copy of the letter seen by TheCable showed it was received at INEC’s headquarters on June 20.

The coalition noted that the new party’s acronym would be ADA, with the slogan “Justice for All.” According to them, the move follows a resolution by the Nigerian National Coalition Group to sponsor the registration.

Though the typo may seem minor, it could raise legal questions, as the 1999 Constitution and Electoral Act 2022 require strict compliance with procedural details.

Section 75(1) of the Electoral Act stipulates that a political association must submit its registration request at least 12 months before a general election. The constitution also outlines several conditions, including registration of party officers, openness to all Nigerians, and a head office in Abuja.

Whether INEC will accept the application despite the clerical error or ask the coalition to refile with the correct wording remains to be seen.

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