Opposition politicians have raised their game by publicly unveiling a new political party for which they have written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for registration.
The challenge is coming from the Nigerian National Coalition Group (NNCG), led by former Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai and ex-Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, former Governor of Cross River State Liyel Imoke and a former presidential aide, Prof. Umar Ardo.
Reports say that Abubakar has denied association with the All Democratic Alliance (ADA) which is seeking registration under the name with the slogan “Justice for All.”
His media aide, Demola Olarenwaju, clarified on Saturday that the Nigeria National Coalition Group (NNCG), which is pushing for ADA’s registration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has not yet finalised any decision.
Olarenwaju said, “A group is in the process of pursuing party registration, just like any other Nigerian, but they need to coordinate this with the coalition. ADA has not been adopted by the coalition, and when the time is right, the public will be informed about the appropriate choices and decisions.”
The clarification comes amid growing tension within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), where Atiku’s imminent departure—along with other key figures like former Senate President David Mark and former House Speaker Aminu Tambuwal—is causing anxiety.
However, in a letter dated June 19 and addressed to the INEC Chairman, the application was jointly signed by the Protem National Chairman of ADA, Chief Akin Ricketts, and the Protem National Secretary, Abdullahi Musa Elayo. The electoral body, on Friday, acknowledged receipt of the application.
Sources within the coalition revealed that the move is part of a broader strategy to provide a strong alternative platform against President Bola Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
Apart from el-Rufai, and Amaechi, other prominent politicians behind the formation of the party include Umar Ardo (a former aide to President Olusegun Obasanjo), former Cross River State governor, Liyel Imoke and several others across party lines.
The public unveiling of the party attracted swift reactions from President Tinubu loyalists. Prominent among them are Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, and Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State.
Keyamo, in a post shared via his official X account on Friday, dismissed the formation of the ADA as a poor clone of the legacy political parties that formed the APC in 2013.
“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,” Keyamo wrote in his post, adding, “This is just a simple application for party registration. There is nothing like a ‘coalition’ here. It is an unnecessary hype the promoters have been struggling to create all along; it is just psychological warfare on Nigerians—a weak attempt at mass appeal. This is not different from several political associations springing up every day for the same purpose.”
For Governor Sani, anyone who thinks there are threats against President Bola Tinubu, regarding the 2027 general election, is in dreamland.
In an interview with a national television station, Sani said that those in a coalition against the current government did not participate in the struggle to entrench democracy in the country, like the President did and so, they are embarking on a wild goose chase.
He said, “Asiwaju has no threats and I will tell you why. Because, you see, I told you I spent most of my life as a civil rights activist. We fought for the enthronement of democracy in Nigeria and for good governance. Most of the people speaking today, where were they? When we were in the trenches, fighting for democracy, for justice, for good governance and the rule of law? They didn’t know anything about it.”
Arguing that there is a way to fight, Governor Sanity added, “When we did that fight under our leader, Chief Gani Fawehinmi of blessed memory, you know what happened? We were not fighting because we wanted power. We were fighting because we wanted democracy and good governance in Nigeria.
“That was the reason why when Abdulsalam Abubakar started his transition and he insisted that he would register only three political parties, the Alliance for Democracy, the APP and the PDP, we went with our team, and our leader, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, told us we were not going to participate in that election.”
He described members of the opposition as “latter-day activists” who were using the wrong strategies to fight the government of a “veteran” like President Tinubu.He called for patience from Nigerians, including the opposition, arguing that the president’s economic policies will begin yielding results before the 2027 elections.
“We have to continue to support President Bola Tinubu, but I have no doubt in my mind that before the election, most of these issues we’re talking about will be addressed. Let me tell you this, you see, the opposition you’re talking about, some of them are just latter-day activists. You know when I say latter-day activists, I mean they were never involved in the struggle in the past.”
He faulted the strategy being used by the opposition, saying, they do not know how to fight a government. “If you know how to fight a government, you cannot start the battle so early. What do you need to do? You need to be patient. Their strategy is wrong, because they are talking to a veteran,” Sani stated.
TheWillNigeria.
