ADC says revised elections timetable make 2027 race ‘almost impossible’

2026-02-28 - 09:57

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has rejected the revised 2027 election timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), warning that the new schedule and requirements under the Electoral Act 2026 could make it “almost impossible” for opposition parties to field candidates. Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, on Friday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the ADC’s rejection of the timetable flows from its broader opposition to the Electoral Act 2026, which he argued imposes stringent compliance conditions on political parties. He said, “The rejection of the timetable is only consequential to our rejection of the Electoral Act 2026. It is very clear when INEC released its timetable that some of the requirements we will need to meet to field candidates for the 2027 elections, as contained in the Act, are almost impossible for us to meet. He explained that the law requires parties to submit a fully digitalised membership register across all 36 states within about 32 days while notifying INEC of their congresses or conventions. “What the law expects us to do is that within the next 32 days or so, we will have a digitalised membership register in all the 36 states of the federation that we will be able to submit to INEC while giving them notice of our congresses or conventions. It is almost practically impossible for us to do this,” he said. Abdullahi described the provisions as “booby traps” designed to weaken opposition participation, noting that failure to comply could bar parties from fielding candidates in the elections. The party maintained that the timetable, combined with the legal framework, is “not democratic” and could undermine the credibility of the 2027 general elections if not reviewed. “Even in practical terms, these are booby traps set in the path of opposition parties because if you look at the law, it says our failure to comply means we will not be able to field candidates for the election... It is all part of the game plan,” the ADC chieftain said. INEC, however, said the revised timetable was necessary to align with the Electoral Act 2026, which was signed into law by President Bola Tinubu following the repeal of the Electoral Act 2022. According to INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, the commission adjusted key dates to comply with the new law and address concerns, including the initial overlap with the Ramadan fasting period. Under the revised schedule, presidential and National Assembly elections will now hold on January 16, 2027, while governorship and state assembly elections are slated for February 6, 2027. Party primaries are scheduled between April 23 and May 30, 2026, with presidential and National Assembly campaigns set to begin on August 19, 2026, and governorship and state assembly campaigns on September 9, 2026. Campaigns are required to end 24 hours before election day. INEC urged stakeholders to cooperate to ensure peaceful and credible elections, even as opposition parties argue that the compressed timeline could significantly affect the competitive landscape ahead of 2027.