Boma Achenimie 
A founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Director‑General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu, has voiced his support for the proposed registration of the All Democratic Alliance (ADA) by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Speaking in a press statement issued on Sunday, Okechukwu affirmed that the new political party could ultimately reinforce President Bola Tinubu’s bid for a second term.
Okechukwu, who welcomed the initiative, emphasised his advocacy for a thriving multiparty system in Nigeria.
He suggested the new party would “Allow all the flowers to blossom and all the voices to be heard.” More importantly, he asserted that the ADA could enhance President Tinubu’s re‑election chances, turning potential fragmentation into an advantage for the ruling APC.
The former VON boss referenced a June 19 letter from the National Opposition Coalition Group, jointly signed by Pro‑tem Chairman Chief Akin A. Rickets and Secretary Abdullahi Elayo, formally requesting INEC’s approval of ADA.
The coalition, spearheaded by figures like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Nasir El‑Rufai, is reportedly aligning its 2027 election strategy around the new party.
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According to Okechukwu, the ADA’s promoters are operating under “the false premise that the northern electorate is quartered in dormitories and will be hauled to the polling booths to vote for a would‑be northern presidential candidate.”
He challenged this narrow narrative, arguing that the northern electorate is among the most politically sophisticated in Nigeria.
He further dismissed the narrative that the North harbours “anger” toward Tinubu, questioning critiques of his infrastructural development and recent policies like financial autonomy for local governments and the establishment of geographical development commissions.
Okechukwu also countered ADA’s claims regarding regional rotational imbalance, noting that proponents have calculated the political leadership distribution as 17 years in the South vs 11 years in the North, a “fraudulent” figure, he says ignores the North’s longer historical rule since independence in 1960.
He reminded observers that this discrepancy originally inspired the 1999 introduction of the North‑South presidential rotation system.
On speculation that ADA may nominate a southern presidential candidate in line with the rotation agreement, Okechukwu cautioned that “Even if they respect the rotation convention,” political ambition may prevent them from embracing unity across other parties like the PDP, APGA, NNPP, and Labour Party.
Okechukwu urged INEC to follow the Supreme Court precedent that once benefited the APC, pointing out that the commission is constitutionally independent and should not be influenced by ruling party dynamics.
He expressed optimism that ADA’s registration would move forward, reinforcing democratic choice and potentially strengthening the APC’s overall electoral position.
