- From the unimaginative names to confusing acronyms, the reactions to this announcement has oscillated between amusement and concern.
In many countries of the world where democracy is practised to the letter, preparation for the next presidential election less than two years into the tenure of an incumbent, while real governance is abandoned, will not only be frowned upon but such a move could prove costly for the ruling party at the polls. But nothing seems to be normal about Nigeria and its people. Acts and deeds that are condemned and forbidden in other climes are tolerated and embraced here.
The majority of politicians in Nigeria only live for the election season. In fact, they start preparing for the next election the moment one is concluded and the winners announced. The present administration perfectly embodies this phenomenon. Its moves and actions are motivated by the next presidential election and how to win it. This has led to the grounding of the government for most of this year, which in turn is hurting an already struggling economy. Former Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Seriake Dickson, voiced his displeasure at this troubling development yesterday.
He said, “We’ve have all been inundated with complains all over, government has grounded that’s what it means, contractors who has done their jobs committed their resources cannot be paid, the benefit of the budget we all took time to work on and pass has not gotten to the people and guess what we are talking of the capital component. Maybe there is too much preoccupation with politics and 2027. Maybe there is too much concentration on receiving defectors across the country. The business of the Nigerian people to which we were all elected all of us and the president of the Federal Republic, is not moving forward”
One of the unintended consequences of fixation on elections and preoccupation with politics is the unsettling proliferation of political parties in the country. Yesterday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced that 110 political parties have applied for registration. This is not a new thing, in the last three election cycles, the scramble by certain individuals and groups to create and register new political parties has become a political ritual of some sort. However, there is something uniquely amusing and confounding about this new batch of quadrennial imposters. From the unimaginative names to confusing acronyms, the reaction to this announcement has oscillated between amusement and concern. But what raised eyebrows the most is the similarity in acronyms of the two parties.
All Democratic Alliance (ADA) and Advanced Democratic Alliance (ADA). While the first ADA is being pushed by Chief Akin Ricketts and is the brainchild of the coalition, the National Opposition Coalition Group, which has in its ranks top and influential politicians in the country. The Ricketts-led ADA is number 109 on INEC’s list,
The other ADA, with the full name Advanced Democratic Alliance, is 110 and the last. Alhaji Ahmadu Suleiman is the Protem Chairman of the second ADA and Zipporah Pius Miracles is the Secretary.
Political gambit or harmless coincidence
The near-identical names of the two parties and total similarity in their acronyms have sparked concern among observers. Names and logos are not only important in the creation of a political party but also crucial for elections. In a nation where many voters are illiterate and still grapple with basic things like differentiating between parties with their names, two parties having almost the same name and similar acronyms will not only be consequential but could prove fatal for the bigger party.
Since the submission of the second ADA application came after the first ADA, many observers have opined that this may be part of the plot by the ruling All Progressives Congress to undermine the influence of the coalition, unsettle and frustrate the registration of the coalition-owned ADA, and even if the registration is successful it will have serious repercussions for the first ADA during elections. Having said that, application submission is the first step to take in registering a party, there are many other hurdles to cross for the registration to be successful. It remains to be seen if INEC will flag the second ADA and reject its application on the grounds of acronym similarity with a prospective political party that applied before it.
Proliferation of political parties.
Concerns have also started mounting over the volume of the political parties up for registration and the effect of such on our democracy. It’s not so much about the sheer number of these parties but the basis for their creation. From their pedestrian name to the viscerally repulsive picture of their logos and acronyms, all you see is an abject lack of imagination and gravitas. It will be unfair for one to expect these parties to have a well-articulated manifesto and ideology since they are mostly created as spoilers and a tool of negotiations with those in power.
Closing remarks.
It is highly unlikely that all these parties will be registered as political power as many may find it difficult to meet the stringent requirements for registration of a political party. Be that as it may, this trend of creating political parties at whim and for other reasons other than those that serve the interest of the people must come to an end.
Full list of political parties
1. Key of Freedom Party (KFP)
2. Absolute Congress (ABC)
3. All Grassroots Party (AGP)
4. Congress Action Party (CAP)
5. United Social Democrats (USDP)
6. National Action Congress Party (NACP)
7. Great Alliance Party (GAP)
8. New Nigeria Congress (NNC)
9. United Peoples Victory Party (UPVP)
10. Allied Conservative Congress (ACC)
11. Peoples Freedom Party (PFP)
12. All Nigerians’ Party (AND)
13. Abundant Social Party (ASP)
14. Citizens Party of Nigeria (CPN)
15. National Freedom Party (NFP)
16. Patriots Party (PP)
17. Movement of the People (MOP)
18. Peoples National Congress (PNC)
19. African Union Congress (AUC)
20. Alliance of Patriots (AOP)
21. Socialist Equality Party (SEP)
22. About Nigeria Party (ABNP)
23. African Reformation Party (ARP)
24. Accelerated African Development Association (AADA)
25. Obidient Peoples Party (OPP)
26. Zonal Rescue Movement (ZRM)
27. Zuma Reform (ZR)
28. Party for Socialist Transformation (PST)
29. Liberation People’s Party (LPP)
30. Progressive Obedients Party (POP)
31. Great Nigeria Party (GNP)
32. National Youth Alliance (NYA)
33. National Reform Party (NRP)
34. Patriotic Congress Party (PCP)
35. Community Alliance Party (CAP)
36. Grassroot Alliance Party (GAP)
37. Advance Nigeria Congress (ANC)
38. All Nigerians Alliance (ANA)
39. Team New Nigeria (TNN)
40. All Labour’s Party (ALP)
41. New Green Generation Coalition Party (NGOCP)
42. New Green Congress (NGC)
43. New Green Coalition Party (NGCP)
44. About All (Nigerian)
45. Nigerian Liberty Movement
46. National Democratic Party
47. Citizen United Congress
48. All Gender Party
49. Polling Unit Ambassadors of Nigeria
50. Village Intelligence Party
51. Great Transformation Party
52. Alliance Social Party
53. Nigeria Democratic Alliance
54. New National Democratic Party
55. Obedients Peoples Party (Not Provided)
56. Nourish Democratic People’s Congress
57. All Youth Reclaim Party
58. LA RIBA Multipurpose Cooperative Society
59. Alliance Youth Party of Nigeria
60. The True Democrats
61. Democratic Peoples Congress
62. National Democratic Movement
63. Economic Liberation Party
64. Grassroot Ambassador’s Party
65. All For All Congress
66. People Democratic Alliance
67. United National Youths Party of Nigeria
68. Peoples Liberation Party
69. Democratic Union for Progress
70. Citizen Democratic Alliance
71. African Action Group
72. Patriots Alliance Network
73. Democratic Leadership Party
74. Pink Political Party
75. Young Motivation & Awareness for Development Forum
76. Access Party
77. Youth Progressive Empowerment Initiative
78. Grassroot Ambassadors’ Party
79. Republican Party of Nigeria
80. Sceptre Influence Party
81. Young Democratic Congress
82. Patriotic Nigerians Party
83. Far-Right Party
84. Democratic People’s Party
85. United Citizens Congress
86. Reset Nigeria
87. New Nigeria Democratic Party
88. Save Nigeria People Party
89. Above All
90. Alliance for Youth and Women Party
91. Rebuild Nigeria Group
92. Citizen Progressive Party
93. Good Guardian Party
94. Abiding Greatness Party
95. Patriotic Peoples’ Party
96. Development & Freedom Party
97. Peace, Unity & Prosperity Culture
98. The Populist Party
99. New Nigeria Leadership Party
100. All Allies Alliance
101. National Action Network
102. Coalition for Nigerian Democrats
103. Republican Party of Nigeria
104. Abundance Africa Alliance
105. Freewill Humanitarian Party
106. Peoples Emancipation Party
107. Peoples Liberation Congress Party
108. Peoples Democratic Congress
109. All Democratic Alliance
110. Advanced Democratic Alliance (ADA)
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