A hurdle looms for the opposition coalition leaders as their platform, All Democratic Alliance (ADA), whose application for registration is pending before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), shares the same acronym as another platform seeking registration with the electoral commission.

The other platform is the Advanced Democratic Alliance (ADA), which is number 110 on the list after the coalition’s ADA, which is listed as 109 registrants on the commission’s log.

Last week, the coalition group submitted ADA for registration before INEC.

On Wednesday, INEC released a list of political platforms seeking registration to become parties. According to the list, 110 political associations have applied so far.

The emergence of two ADAs on the list is a throwback to the drama surrounding the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2013.

The unfolding saga over the similar acronyms might set the electoral body on a familiar path back in 2013, when the then-mega opposition platform All Progressives Congress (APC) was formed.

According to its rules and practice, INEC does not register associations with similar names, logos, and acronyms to avoid confusion.

LEADERSHIP recalls that shortly after three (now defunct) opposition political parties, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and a faction of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) merged into the new APC, another group with the same acronym known as the African Peoples Congress emerged and applied to the INEC to be registered as a political party.

Two other groups, All Patriotic Citizens (APC) and All Progressives Congress of Nigeria (APCN) also emerged to seek registration with INEC as political parties.

The emergence of the other APC platforms triggered allegations and counter-allegations, especially between the then-merger parties and the African Peoples Congress.

INEC and the then-ruling party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), were accused of complicity in the drama.

After an intense back-and-forth, INEC disqualified the African Peoples Congress, saying the association breached Section 222 (a) of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, as amended.

However, while both ADAs listed their head offices as Abuja, their party logos and flags differ.

The coalition’s ADA has Chief Akin A. Ricketts and Abdullahi Musa Elayo as their chairman and protem secretary. In contrast, the other ADA has Alhaji Ahmadu Suleiman and Zipporah Pus Miracle as national chairman and protem secretary.

The coalition ADA’s office is on the Ground Floor of the UAC Complex, Plot 273, Samuel Adesujo Ademulegun Street, CBD, Abuja, FCT.

The other ADA is No 1, Frandriance Close, Off Oda Crescent, Off Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja.

Umar Ardo, a key convener of the Coalition group, played down the situation, adding that they applied before the other association.

Ardo told LEADERSHIP, “No problem. We’re there before them,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has received letters of intent from 110 associations to register as political parties.

Some of the associations are the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), Advanced Democratic Alliance (ADA), Absolute Congress (ABC), Key Freedom Party (KFP), All Grassroots Party (AGP), Congress Action Party (CAP), United Social Democratic Party (USDP), National Action Congress Party (NACP), Great Alliance Party (GAP), New Nigerian Congress (NNC), United Peoples Victory Party (UPVP), and Allied Conservative Congress (ACC).

Others include People’s Freedom Party (PFP), All Nigerians’ Party (ANP), Abundant Social Party (ASP), Citizens Party of Nigeria (CPN), National Freedom Party (NFP), Patriots Party (PP), Movement of the People (MDP), Peoples National Congress (PNC), African Union Congress (AUC), Alliance of Patriot(AOP), Socialist Equality Party (SEP), About Nigeria Party (ABNP), African Reformation Party (ARP) and Accelerated African Development Association (AADA).

INEC chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu disclosed this at the commission’s second regular consultative meeting with media executives on Wednesday at its headquarters in Abuja.

Yakubu said INEC was diligently processing the requests according to the procedure outlined in the law and its regulations and guidelines.

He said the commission had acknowledged all requests received so far except six recently received ones, which will be done before the end of the week.

“As of Monday, 23rd June, 2025, the Commission has received letters of intent from 110 associations that wish to register as political parties.

“We diligently process the requests per the procedure outlined in the law and our Regulations and Guidelines. We have acknowledged all requests received so far, except six of them received recently, which will be done before the end of the week.

“For emphasis, I wish to inform Nigerians, particularly those interested in registering new political parties, that the handbook containing the Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties 2022 is already available on the Commission’s website.

He said the list would be uploaded to INEC’s website and social media platforms shortly for transparency and public information.

Yakubu also disclosed that INEC was positioned to conduct the outstanding bye-elections and resume Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).

“The commission met on Tuesday and is finalising the details of the two activities, which will be made public on Thursday.

“Today’s meeting is in the middle of two electoral activities. First is the conduct of primaries for the Area Council election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which, by our Timetable and Schedule of Activities, ends on Monday, 30th June 2025.

“As you are aware, the election will be held in 68 constituencies made up of chairmen and their deputies for the six Area Councils, namely Abaji, the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali, as well as 62 Wards drawn based on 10 Wards for each Area Council, except AMAC, which has 12 Wards on account of its population. The full delimitation details for the FCT are available on our website.

“The second electoral activity is the forthcoming Anambra State governorship election. Again, as you are already aware, campaigning in public by political parties commenced exactly two weeks ago on 11th June 2025 and will continue until midnight of Thursday 6th November 2025, i.e. 24 hours before Election Day.”

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday took a swipe at those fueling discontent in the polity against his administration, describing them as “political IDPs.”

Speaking during the stakeholders’ engagement in Lafia, President Tinubu urged his supporters not to be swayed by his opponents’ rantings.

The president noted that although he was not in Nasarawa for the campaign, the activities of his opponents could not be entirely ignored.

“But who is a politician who will stay quiet when the gangsters form a coalition to unseat themselves?

They are the political IDPs. Don’t give them a room,” he urged.

He said his administration navigated depression and uncertainty, noting that a new, transformative Nigeria is evolving.

“I will be back here to celebrate all of you and the joy of a transformative Nigeria emerging and coming up. We’ve turned the corner of depression, of uncertainty.

We’ve cut the waste. You’ve listened to a daily Alake. I won’t dwell much on the economic dynamism that we are facing, but the hope is here,” he stated.

The president commended Governor Abdullahi Sule for his transformative strides, saying the gesture was in tune with his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

He noted that Governor Sule’s performance is symptomatic of what is happening at the centre, even as he promised that “hope for greater Nigeria is at hand.”

“Sule is doing well, because Bola Tinubu is doing well too,” he stressed.

The president appreciated the state’s people for their hospitality, which is “engaging and comforting,” while praising the harmonious existence despite the complexity and diversity of culture and ethnicity.

Speaking earlier, Governor Sule urged the president to prioritise the exploration of the over 1 billion hydrocarbon resources in the Obi local government area of the state.

He said the hydrocarbon reserve and activities could transform the state into Saudi Arabia if well harnessed.

“It will become another Saudi Arabia if we have a deep onshore operation so that we can have an integrated oil and gas facility similar to what they have in Saudi Arabia, so that we can do exploration, production, refining, as well as gas production, power production, and be able to process finished products from other parts of the country,” he explained.

Earlier, the governor named the newly constructed Lafia Flyover and underpass after President Tinubu.

The flyover and underpass were the first projects commissioned by President Tinubu during his one-day visit to the state on Wednesday.

Governor Sule announced the project’s naming after the president shortly after its inauguration.

The governor said the project was made possible by President Tinubu’s magnanimity, which ensured enhanced allocation to the states.

He noted that his administration could execute the landmark infrastructure without borrowing.

The governor stated that President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda also inspired the project, encouraging prudent resource management.

Our correspondent reports that the president’s entourage includes governors AbdulRahaman Abdulrazaq of Kwara, Babagana Zulum of Borno, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, Uba Sani of Kaduna, Umaru Bago of Niger, and Hope Uzodinma of Imo states.

Gombe, Kebbi, and Sokoto state deputy governors were also present. Ministers of Solid Mineral Development and Women’s Affairs, Dele Alake and Iman Suleiman, were also present.