As the Political Terrain of Nigeria becomes more alive with the 2027 general elections drawing closer, promoters of the All Democratic Alliance (ADA) have cried out that ADA was denied registration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after fulfilling the necessary requirements.
ADA promoters, however, wondered how the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), which they alleged didn’t fulfil the requirements, scaled through.
Speaking recently on two different television stations, Dr Umar Ardo, a leading promoter of the ADA, accused INEC of compromising its own procedures by registering a political party that, according to him, never participated in the official screening process.
He maintained that the ADA fully complied with all stipulated requirements and participated throughout the process, but was denied registration, alleging that the NDC was absent at every stage.
Alleging that the party emerged through a fraudulent and opaque process outside the guidelines set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Ardo disclosed that no fewer than 171 political associations initially submitted expressions of interest for registration, out of which only fourteen were shortlisted by INEC.
He added that on September 15, 2025, INEC published the list of the fourteen political associations that progressed to the next stage, which included verification of their offices nationwide.
According to him, the fourteen groups were further screened, with only eight advancing to the commission’s verification stage on its portal.
Ardo rejected INEC’s explanation that the NDC was registered based on a court order, describing the claim as untenable.
He argued that the due judicial process would require proper filings and INEC’s participation in court proceedings.
He likened the situation to awarding a contract to a bidder who neither applied nor participated in the bidding process, warning that such an outcome undermines fairness, transparency, and institutional credibility.
Ardo also dismissed claims linking the ADA to Peter Obi, describing them as unfounded rumours aimed at discrediting the group.
He insisted that the ADA is an independent initiative rooted in constitutional rights.
He said:“It is shocking that a political association that did not submit an application, was not shortlisted among the 14, and did not make the final eight, suddenly appeared with a registration certificate.
“For a court to give such an order, there must have been submissions, and INEC must have been served and represented. We intend to obtain Certified True Copies of the court processes from the Federal High Court in Lokoja to understand what transpired.
“We are determined to prove that we fulfilled all legal requirements and were unjustly denied registration.”
On next steps, he confirmed that the ADA has initiated legal action and is prepared to pursue the matter up to the Supreme Court if necessary.
He stressed that the effort is not limited to the 2027 elections but aimed at establishing due process in Nigeria’s political system.
The leader of the NDC, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, and the party’s National Chairman, Moses Cleopas, couldn’t be reached as of the time of filing this report.
