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From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The All Democratic Alliance (ADA) has issued a final demand to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), insisting the electoral body comply with a Federal High Court order to release an Access Code to the party’s authentic leadership ahead of the 2027 general election, or face contempt proceedings.
In a statement signed by its Protem National Secretary, Dr. Aminu Ahmed, the ADA said that as one of eight political associations prequalified by INEC for registration as a political party, the commission’s refusal to comply with the court order has stalled its ability to upload the list of party officials, office addresses, names of administrative staff and other details required under INEC’s guidelines to complete its registration and obtain a certificate as a political party.
The party said it was giving the INEC Chairman a 48-hour deadline from August 10, 2026, to release the Access Code as ordered by the court, warning that failure to comply would leave it with no option but to initiate contempt proceedings against the INEC Chairman, the Director of the Department of Election and Party Monitoring (EPM), and other relevant officials.
“Based on the order of the court to issue an Access Code to us within 72 hours from the date of the court’s judgement, INEC was supposed to have issued the Access Code latest by 4th August 2026. INEC has now been in continuous defiance of a valid court order for a period of 39 days today and counting,” the ADA said in the statement.
The party described INEC’s non-compliance as a deliberate assault on the rule of law and a calculated attempt to stall its registration as a political party, thereby denying its members and supporters the opportunity to participate in the electoral process.
It held the INEC Chairman and the Director of EPM personally responsible for what it called continuing obstruction and a clear case of contempt of court.
The party’s leaders, Chief Akin A. Rickets and Dr. Aminu Ahmed, had earlier, through their counsel, M.U. Kumalia , sued INEC and Dr. Umar Ardo over the release of the Access Code to Ardo, who they contended was neither the National Chairman nor Secretary of the association.
In his judgment delivered on June 29, Justice Peter Lifu ruled that the issuance of the Access Code to Ardo, who was not a recognised protem secretary of the political association, was illegal, wrongful, null and void.
The court further ordered INEC to open its portal for one week to enable the ADA leadership to upload the required documents, including a digital register of members and other associated political party requirements, in line with the law.
Among its orders, the court held that INEC “is herein mandated and ordered to generate forthwith another Access Code meant for the Plaintiffs’ political association in the next 72 hours to enable them complete their registration process,” directing that the code be issued to the protem chairman or secretary named in a letter dated October 10, 2025, and received by INEC on October 13, 2025 tendered as Exhibit ADA 3 in the plaintiffs’ amended originating summons.
As of press time, INEC had not issued a public response to the ADA’s latest demand.
