Promoter of the Alliance for Democratic Action (ADA), Dr. Umar Ardo, has explained his strong opposition to the registration of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), alleging that the party failed to meet constitutional and electoral requirements.
Speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Thursday, Ardo detailed the standard procedure for registering a new political party. According to him, the process begins with the formation of an association, followed by a formal letter of intent to INEC stating the proposed name, acronym, and logo.
This should then lead to access to INEC’s portal for completing Form EC15 and uploading necessary documents.
Ardo claimed that after NDC submitted its letter of intent, INEC rejected it because the party’s logo was similar to those of existing political parties and associations.
Instead of challenging the rejection in court within the stipulated 14 days as required by law, the group wrote back requesting a reconsideration, which INEC did not grant.
He further alleged that NDC later approached the court armed only with the letter of intent and correspondence, without completing Form EC15 or uploading required documents such as the party’s constitution, manifesto, details of national executive members, and proof of payment of the mandatory fee.
Ardo argued that the court was misled into believing that NDC had fulfilled all requirements under the Constitution, the Electoral Act, and INEC guidelines.
He maintained that INEC, being fully aware of the non-compliance, should have resisted the judgment and appealed it.
“Why I oppose NDC? I need to explain that so that the castigation against me and the misunderstanding by a lot of Nigerians maybe assuaged,” Ardo said during the interview.
He stressed that full compliance involves uploading up to 29 documents on the portal after paying the required fee and obtaining access, none of which NDC did according to him.
Ardo’s position has sparked debate, especially as prominent figures are reportedly associating with the NDC ahead of future elections.
He insisted his stance is based on the rule of law and the integrity of the electoral process, not personal or political vendettas.
This development comes amid ongoing discussions about political realignments in Nigeria as parties prepare for upcoming electoral cycles.
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