The African Democratic Congress has rejected the revised 2026–2027 general election timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission, describing the schedule as politically biased and aimed at favouring the re-election ambitions of Bola Tinubu.
In a statement issued on Friday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC argued that the new deadlines and compliance provisions under the Electoral Act 2026 create major obstacles for opposition parties intending to present candidates.
INEC had earlier, on February 13, fixed February 20, 2027 for the Presidential and National Assembly elections, while Governorship and State Houses of Assembly polls were scheduled for March 6, 2027. However, the dates drew objections from Muslim groups who noted that they coincided with the 2027 Ramadan period.
Following the concerns, the National Assembly amended Clause 28 of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, reducing the mandatory election notice period from 360 days to 300 days to enable adjustments to the schedule.
INEC subsequently issued a revised timetable on Thursday, signed by its Chairman, Joash Amupitan, moving the Presidential and National Assembly elections to January 16, 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections were shifted to February 6, 2027.
Reacting to the development, the ADC said the requirement for political parties to submit a comprehensive digital membership register by April 2, 2026 effectively excludes opposition parties from participating in the elections.
According to the party, primaries are expected to take place between April 23 and May 30, 2026, leaving only a short window for political parties to comply with the new provisions. It noted that Section 77(4) of the Electoral Act 2026 mandates parties to submit their digital membership registers to INEC before the April 2 deadline, adding that failure to meet the requirement would automatically disqualify any affected party from fielding candidates.
The party argued that the provision is not merely an administrative requirement but a barrier capable of restricting opposition participation.
It further pointed out that Section 77(2) of the law requires the membership register to include details such as name, sex, date of birth, address, state, local government area, ward, polling unit, National Identification Number and photographs in both hard and electronic formats. The ADC added that Section 77(6) disallows the use of any existing register that does not contain all the specified information.
The party questioned the fairness of the policy, claiming that the ruling All Progressives Congress began compiling its digital membership register as early as February 2025, long before the requirement became compulsory.
According to the ADC, this development gives the ruling party a significant advantage, while opposition parties are expected to complete the same process within a far shorter timeframe.
The party stated that democratic competition requires a level playing field and warned that a situation where one political party benefits from early knowledge of new requirements undermines the integrity of the electoral process.
The ADC added that it has joined other opposition parties in rejecting the Electoral Act 2026 and the timetable released by INEC, describing them as measures that appear to promote a self-succession agenda.
The party also called on civil society groups, democratic stakeholders and Nigerians to scrutinise the timetable and demand fairness, stressing that democracy cannot thrive where electoral regulations appear designed to predetermine political outcomes.
