Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the National Opposition Coalition Group (NOCG), made up of prominent political figures including former Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, has submitted a request to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register its new political party named “All Democratic Alliance” (ADA).

The coalition is led by former Senate President, David Mark.

This move came after a coalition meeting held in Abuja on May 6, 2025, as stated in a letter dated May 19, signed by Amaechi and Umar Ardo, who serve as the Chairman and Secretary of the New Platform Committee (NPC), respectively.

The NPC, which consists of 15 members, was tasked with creating an association to apply for the registration of a new political party.

The statement noted that following several meetings, the formation of sub-committees, and submission of reports, the Committee convened on June 19, 2025, and approved the creation of “ADA” as a political association, along with the party’s logo, slogan, and motto.

The meeting also endorsed the party’s manifesto, constitution, and interim leadership, naming Chief Akin A. Ricketts as the Protem Chairman and Abdullahi Musa Elayo as the Protem National Secretary.

Additionally, the interim leadership was charged with securing appropriate office space, opening a bank account once the party is registered by INEC, and managing the party’s affairs in line with its constitution and the Electoral Act (2022).

There has been increasing speculation about a potential coalition involving former Vice President and 2023 PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar; 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi; and former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, with the aim of challenging President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

In May, Atiku’s spokesperson confirmed that Atiku, Peter Obi, and El-Rufai were in talks regarding the formation of a coalition ahead of the next election.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, the spokesman said, “Well, you and I know that there have been ongoing discussions between Atiku Abubakar and some opposition leaders, Peter Obi, Nasir El-Rufai.”

“Yes, it’s out there in the open. Discussion is still ongoing, and at the end of that discussion, they will come out with a position and the direction that we’re going to follow based on the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians.”

Meanwhile, the ruling All Progressives Congress has stated that any opposition coalition aiming to defeat Tinubu in 2027 will not succeed.

The family of the late former governor of Oyo State, Otunba Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala, is embroiled in deepening crisis as his first daughter, Mrs Oluwatoyin Alao-Aderinto, has approached an Oyo State High Court in Ibadan, requesting a Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) test on seven individuals claiming to be biological children of the deceased, along with an application for the exhumation of the late governor’s remains for the test.

In the suit filed before Justice Taiwo of Court 12 at the state high court, Ring Road, Ibadan, with Motion Number I/443/2024, Oluwatoyin Alao-Aderinto, represented by her counsel, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Oladipo Olasope, is asking the court to order DNA tests on herself, along with Olamide, Adebukola, Olamipo, Olamiju (a serving member of the House of Representatives), Tabitha and Olamikunle, as listed in the motion. She also requests that the tests be carried out at a court-approved and accredited laboratory to establish their biological connection to the late governor.

As part of the motion, she is seeking a court order to exhume Otunba Alao-Akala’s body from the mausoleum in his Ogbomoso residence for the purpose of conducting the paternity test.

She asked that the test results be submitted in a sealed envelope and handed directly to the presiding judge for a pronouncement in open court.

The application represents a new development in the ongoing family dispute over the vast estate of the late politician, who died intestate on January 12, 2022.

The conflict, which had remained largely private since his burial, came into the public eye in October 2022 when one Kemi Alao-Akala and Olamide Alabi, believed to be a daughter of the late governor, obtained a Letter of Administration from the Oyo State Probate Registry without informing or seeking the consent of Oluwatoyin, the first child.

She argues that this action was a deliberate and unlawful exclusion that violates the laws governing intestate succession in Nigeria.

In the affidavit and exhibits supporting her motion, Oluwatoyin accused the pair of distorting facts to gain sole control of the estate, despite the existence of other biological children and heirs.

The estate is reported to include properties in Ibadan, Lagos, Abuja, the United Kingdom, and the United States, along with a five-star hotel in Ghana, vehicles, and multiple bank accounts with substantial funds in naira, dollars, and pounds sterling.

Oluwatoyin’s stance on the estate is based on her commitment to ensuring that all concerned individuals—including nuclear and extended family members, aides who served the late governor faithfully, and yet-to-be-identified children—are taken into account, rather than adopting the exclusionary approach of the defendants.

The administrators have listed only seven people as legal heirs, but according to Oluwatoyin’s counsel, there is no established agreement regarding their paternity, and the inclusion of some while excluding others raises serious concerns of fairness and legitimacy. She is therefore requesting scientific verification through the court.

It is worth noting that in a letter dated August 2023 and made public, Oluwatoyin’s lawyer, Oladipo Olasope SAN, warned that excluding the claimant, who is the late Alao-Akala’s first daughter, was a breach of moral and legal standards. He emphasized that without resolution, the issue could further divide the family and undermine the late governor’s political legacy.

Codix Bio Ltd, a Nigerian company, has announced plans to manufacture millions of HIV and malaria test kits at its new facility for use both locally and across the region.

As reported by Reuters on Thursday, the initiative aims to fill the gap created by funding reductions at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), a US donor body.

Former US President Donald Trump had initiated a suspension of funding for HIV treatment in developing nations under an executive order concerning foreign aid.

These executive orders also disrupted the activities of USAID and other US-funded foreign aid programmes.

Speaking to Reuters, Olanrewaju Balaja, general manager of Codix Bio, said the plant located in Ogun state will begin distributing the test kits later this month.

He explained that the production will be done in partnership with SD Biosensor, a pharmaceutical firm based in South Korea, and supported by the World Health Organization (WHO).

According to him, the facility initially has the capacity to produce 147 million test kits annually, with potential expansion to over 160 million.

“From the statistics of what is supplied (by USAID and PEPFAR) for a specific programme year, and looking at what we have currently in capacity for Nigeria, we have enough capacity to meet the demand,” Balaja said.

He also indicated that the firm is prepared to expand its services to “West and Sub-Saharan Africa, including other African countries”.

“The focus was for us to be able to play in the field of supply of rapid diagnostic test kits for donor agencies, which particularly USAID was at the forefront,” Balaja added.

Balaja stated that both the Nigerian government and donor organisations such as the Global Fund are expected to source test kits from Codix Bio.