ABUJA, NIGERIA — The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has formally rejected the 2026–2027 general election timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), describing it as a political tool that allegedly narrows democratic space ahead of the 2027 elections.
In a statement issued on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party argued that what has been presented as a routine administrative schedule is, in reality, structured in a way that favours the incumbent administration.
The ADC contended that democratic competition requires a level playing field and claimed that the timetable grants an unfair advantage to the ruling party by effectively giving it an early start on compliance requirements that opposition parties only recently became aware of. According to the party, such an arrangement undermines the principles of fairness and transparency expected in a democratic system.
The party also stated that it has joined other opposition groups in rejecting what it described as a “corrupted” Electoral Act 2026, upon which the new timetable is based. It alleged that both the law and the schedule appear designed to support what it termed President Tinubu’s “automatic self-succession project.”
While noting that it is reviewing its options, the ADC said it would not take any action that could legitimize what it considers a flawed process. The party further called on civil society organizations, democratic stakeholders and Nigerians across political divides to closely examine the timetable and demand what it described as fairness in the electoral process.
