ADC rejects INEC’s new timetable for 2027 election

By Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has described the updated 2026–2027 electoral timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, appeared to be designed to serve President Bola Tinubu’s automatic self-succession project.

The opposition party said this while announcing its rejection of the INEC timetable in a statement by its spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, on Friday.

INEC released the updated timetable for the 2027 election on Thursday.

The timetable was released in line with the 2026 Electoral Act and in response complaints that the initial dates fixed for elections in the earlier timetable clashed with 2027 Ramadan fasting period for Muslims.

But ADC in its statement on Friday rejected the timetable as it argued that it was designed to favour the ruling APC ahead of the 2027 general election.

ADC also said since it has joined other opposition political parties to reject the Electoral Act 2026, it cannot accept the INEC timetable fashioned out from the law.

Abdulahi, in the statement said, “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 hand of the incumbent administration ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“Democratic competition is based on a level-playing field that does not give any advantage to the contestants. A system where one party takes advantage of incumbency to give itself a one-year head-start on a requirement that other parties only became aware of when it is almost too late is a rigged and corrupt system.

“The ADC has joined other opposition political parties to reject the corrupted Electoral Act 2026. This INEC time-table, which is based on the said law therefore stands equally rejected for the same reason that, put together, they appear designed to serve President Tinubu’s automatic self-succession project.

“Let it be clear: ADC will not do anything that will appear to confer legitimacy on a fraudulent system. We are reviewing our options and will make this known in the coming days.

“We call on civil society, democratic stakeholders, and patriotic Nigerians across party lines to scrutinize this timetable and join us in demanding fairness, because no democracy can endure if the rules that govern it are written to suit pre-determined outcomes.”