The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has formally turned down the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) updated 2026–2027 general election schedule.
The party characterized the move as a politically motivated plan intended to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election efforts.
In a Friday statement from its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC contended that the revised deadlines and the stipulations of the Electoral Act 2026 present nearly insurmountable obstacles for opposition groups attempting to nominate candidates.
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Originally, INEC had set the presidential and legislative polls for February 20, 2027, with state elections following on March 6.
However, after Muslim stakeholders raised concerns about the dates overlapping with Ramadan, the National Assembly adjusted the Electoral Act to allow for a shorter notice period.
Consequently, on Thursday, INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan released the new dates: January 16, 2027, for the Presidential and National Assembly elections, and February 6, 2027, for the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly polls.
The ADC’s primary grievance lies with the mandate for parties to provide a detailed digital membership list by April 2, 2026.
The party stated:“The African Democratic Congress rejects the updated 2026–2027 electoral timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission. What has been presented as a routine administrative schedule of the upcoming general elections is, in fact, a political instrument carefully structured to narrow democratic space and strengthen the incumbent administration ahead of the 2027 general elections.”
The party highlighted that with primaries set for late April and May 2026, the deadline to submit these registers is only about a month away.
They warned that:“According to the timetable, party primaries are to be conducted between April 23 and May 30, 2026, just 55 to 92 days from today. However, more significant is that, pursuant to Section 77(4) of the Electoral Act 2026, political parties are required to submit their digital membership registers to INEC not later than April 2, 2026. That is only about 34 days away. Section 77(7) further provides that any party that fails to submit its membership register within the stipulated time shall not be eligible to field a candidate. These are not routine administrative rules but are deliberately constructed barriers designed to exclude the opposition from participating in the election.”
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The ADC further argued that the requirements—which include names, NINs, and photographs—are impossible to meet in such a short timeframe, whereas the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) started its registration in early 2025.
The ADC noted:“It is not a product of foresight but insider advantage. They knew what was coming. They therefore had one full year to carry out an exercise that other political parties are expected to complete in one month, during which they must collect, process, collate and transmit large volumes of digital data to INEC under the threat of exclusion. This is practically impossible. Democratic competition is based on a level playing field that does not give any contestant an undue advantage. A system where one party exploits incumbency to gain a one-year head start on a requirement that other parties only became aware of when it was nearly too late is a rigged system.”
Concluding the statement, the ADC aligned itself with other opposition voices against the Electoral Act 2026, asserting that the timetable serves a “self-succession agenda.”
The party declared:“Let it be clear that ADC will not take any action that appears to confer legitimacy on a fraudulent system. We are reviewing our options and will make our position known in the coming days.”
The ADC also urged civil society and the Nigerian public to demand more equitable rules, stressing that democracy fails when the system is rigged for specific results.
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