African Democratic Congress, on Friday, rejected the new election timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission, claiming it is designed to exclude opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, in a statement, said the revised schedule is not merely an administrative plan but “a political instrument carefully structured to narrow democratic space.”
ADC argued that new requirements in the Electoral Act 2026 place heavy demands on political parties.
According to the timetable, party primaries will take place between April 23 and May 30, 2026. However, parties must submit a detailed digital membership register to INEC by April 2, 2026, just weeks away.
The party pointed to Section 77 of the law, which states that any party that fails to submit its membership register on time “shall not be eligible to field a candidate for that election.”
The ADC described this as more than a routine rule.
“These are not housekeeping rules. They are deliberately constructed barriers to exclude opposition from partaking in the coming election.”
Under the new law, the digital register must include members’ names, sex, date of birth, address, state, local government, ward, polling unit, National Identification Number (NIN), and photographs.
The law also prohibits parties from using any old membership list that does not meet these standards. Failure to comply could result in disqualification.
The ADC claimed that the ruling party had already started compiling such a register as far back as February 2025, long before it became a legal requirement, giving it a significant advantage.
“This is not a product of foresight but insider knowledge. They knew what was coming,” the statement said.
It added that while the ruling party had about a year to prepare, other parties are now expected to complete the same process in roughly one month. The ADC described this as “a practical impossibility”.
The party also alleged that the overall effect of the timetable and the law is to clear the way for President Bola Tinubu to return to office without serious competition in 2027.
“A system where one party takes advantage of incumbency to give itself a one-year head start is a rigged and corrupt system,” the ADC said.
The party stated that it has joined other opposition groups in rejecting the Electoral Act 2026 and the new timetable.
“ADC will not do anything that will appear to confer legitimacy on a fraudulent system,” the statement said, adding that the party is reviewing its options.
It called on civil society groups and Nigerians across party lines to “scrutinise this timetable and join us in demanding fairness,” warning that democracy cannot survive if the rules are written to favour one side.
