The future of Nigeria鈥檚 emerging opposition coalition, led by high-profile political figures鈥攆ormer Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, and ex-Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi鈥攔emains uncertain as internal disagreements and legal hurdles cloud its formation.
At the heart of the confusion is the proposed All Democratic Alliance (ADA), touted as the coalition鈥檚 political vehicle ahead of the 2027 general elections.
However, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that the party is yet to meet the requirements for registration.
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INEC鈥檚 National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, clarified on Tuesday that the ADA鈥檚 application remains incomplete and cannot be considered for registration at this time.
The opposition coalition鈥攁llegedly formed with the express aim of unseating President Bola Tinubu in 2027 includes a diverse mix of political heavyweights.
Alongside Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai, and Amaechi, other notable figures include former Senate President David Mark and ex-Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal.
According to El-Rufai, the coalition鈥檚 primary mission is to 鈥渞escue Nigeria from current economic hardship and political misdirection.鈥
In an interview with Arise Television, he emphasized his personal preference for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) as the coalition鈥檚 official platform, citing its legacy, symbolism, and historical resonance.
鈥淚 strongly believe that the SDP is the best platform for a coalition its history, its sentimental value, the name, the logo it鈥檚 almost perfect,鈥 El-Rufai asserted.
Yet, confusion persists. In May, unconfirmed reports suggested the coalition had adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its political platform.
Those claims were later debunked, deepening public uncertainty about the group鈥檚 direction.
Amid the debate, a letter dated June 19, signed by Chief Akin A. Rickets (Protem National Chairman) and Abdullahi Elayo (Protem National Secretary), was submitted to INEC requesting formal registration of ADA.
The letter was sent under the banner of the National Opposition Coalition Group (NOCG).
Legal activist Maduabuchi Idam weighed in, describing ADA as the 鈥渂aptismal name鈥 of the coalition. While cautiously optimistic, he warned against complacency:
鈥淭here should be a limit to excuses for underperformance. Enough has been given already. Any administration that performs worse than the current government will plunge Nigeria into deeper crisis.鈥
Adding another layer of uncertainty, Demola Olarenwaju, Special Assistant on Digital Media Strategy to Atiku Abubakar, stated that the former Vice President and his allies have not yet endorsed ADA and are still in the consultation phase.
鈥淭here are internal issues the group must resolve before finalizing a political platform,鈥 Olarenwaju said.
With the 2027 general elections on the horizon, the race to consolidate opposition forces against the ruling APC is heating up.
Yet, the internal fragmentation, unclear leadership alignment, and ongoing party registration hurdles may stall the momentum of a potentially powerful coalition.