Coalition leaders aligned with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) are considering a move to the newly approved All Democratic Alliance (ADA), multiple party sources told Sunday PUNCH, citing concern that ongoing litigation could undermine the ADC’s usefulness as the coalition’s platform ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The shift is being considered after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced on Thursday that it had cleared 14 political associations, including ADA, to proceed to the next stage of registration as political parties. Coalition stakeholders had earlier agreed on June 19 to register ADA to avoid prospective litigation from original members of any party the coalition intended to adopt.
“The ADA was our first approach to have a reliable platform,” a senior coalition official said. “If the court rules against the David Mark-led ADC executive, we will push to complete all ADA processes and migrate. The coalition is bigger than the ADC.”
The reaction follows a dispute within the ADC brought by Deputy National Chairman Nafi’u Bala, who has challenged the party’s interim leadership in court. Bala asked a Federal High Court to nullify the leadership headed by former Senate President David Mark and to declare him the authentic chairman after former national chairman Ralph Nwosu resigned on July 2 and named Mark interim chairman and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola interim secretary.
Bala also sought an ex parte order restraining Mark and Aregbesola from acting as party officers. On 4 September, Justice Emeka Nwite refused the ex parte application and ordered the defendants put on notice to show cause why the reliefs should not be granted. The matter was adjourned to 15 September.
With ADA now cleared by INEC, some coalition figures said the party presents a safer, more stable platform should the ADC litigation deepen. “ADA is a broader platform because all the stakeholders in the coalition approved it as our original party,” another ADC insider said. “We may leave ADC if the ongoing litigation constitutes a serious threat to any of our agenda.”
Sources also said the coalition expects defections from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after its convention in November, a development they said would further reshape calculations within the opposition alliance. “A full‑fledged alliance would come after the PDP members join the coalition,” one official said. “That is why moving out of ADC is also possible — all stakeholders must agree on a party and candidate.”
Still, several officials stressed no final decision has been taken. “We have invested a lot in ADC — in effort and time — and we haven’t formally discussed migration as a group,” one senior party figure said. “The party and the coalition are likely to meet within the next one to two weeks to decide.”
Not everyone concurs that a move is imminent. ADC spokesperson Bolaji Abdullahi dismissed the idea of a migration. “There is nothing like moving to ADA. There is no doubt that the coalition owns the party, but there’s not yet a reason to migrate,” he said.
As the coalition weighs its options, the 15 September court hearing on Bala’s suit could prove pivotal in determining whether ADC remains the coalition’s primary vehicle into the 2027 elections or whether leaders complete the ADA registration and switch allegiance.
