Two groups are vying for INEC recognition under the ADA acronym, raising concerns over name similarity and voter confusion in party registration guidelines
ADA party conflict has thrown a spanner in the works for a proposed opposition coalition seeking registration under the name All Democratic Alliance.
Also read: INEC Flags Issues with Political Party Registration
The Independent National Electoral Commission is currently reviewing two applications — both using the ADA acronym — in a development that may force one or both groups to seek alternative identities.
The coalition’s version of ADA is listed as number 109 in INEC’s register of pending political associations.
However, just one step below on the same list is the Advanced Democratic Alliance, also bearing the ADA acronym.
The similarity poses a challenge under INEC’s existing regulations, which prohibit registration of political bodies with identical or confusing names, acronyms or logos.
The aim is to prevent voter confusion during elections.
This latest clash is reminiscent of the 2013 episode that almost derailed the formation of the All Progressives Congress.
At the time, rival applications using similar names appeared suddenly, leading to suspicions of deliberate sabotage.
That memory still lingers in the minds of political watchers who now see echoes of the past in the current ADA party conflict Nigeria is witnessing.
Despite the overlapping acronyms, the two associations differ in other key respects. The coalition-backed All Democratic Alliance is headquartered at the UAC Complex in Abuja and led by Chief Akin A. Ricketts, with Abdullahi Musa Elayo serving as protem secretary.
Meanwhile, the Advanced Democratic Alliance is based in Wuse 2, Abuja, and is led by Alhaji Ahmadu Suleiman alongside Zipporah Pus Miracle.
Both groups have submitted unique logos and separate leadership rosters. But that might not be enough to meet INEC’s guidelines, which clearly state that recognisable similarities in naming could lead to automatic disqualification.
Umar Ardo, a leading figure in the coalition’s ADA, downplayed the dispute. “No problem. We were there before them,” he said, suggesting that priority of application could give his group the upper hand in the commission’s decision-making process.
Still, INEC is expected to tread carefully. Party registration remains a sensitive matter in Nigeria’s evolving democratic process, where allegations of exclusion or favouritism can spark fierce backlash.
With dozens of pending political associations on its desk, the commission’s decisions in cases like this will set important precedents.
As of now, it is unclear how INEC will resolve the issue. Both groups appear determined to pursue registration under the contested acronym.
Also read: Nigerian Opposition Parties: Collapsing Under Their Own Weight, Not Just APC Dominance
What is clear, however, is that only one ADA is likely to survive the regulatory scrutiny — if either does at all.
