The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has rejected the updated 2026–2027 electoral timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), describing it as politically motivated and designed to exclude opposition parties from the upcoming general elections.
According to the party, the timetable, which schedules party primaries between 23 April and 30 May 2026, comes with strict digital membership submission requirements under Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2026.
Political parties are required to submit complete digital membership registers by 2 April 2026, just 34 days away, or face disqualification.
The ADC described these provisions as “boobytraps” “carefully constructed to narrow democratic space and strengthen the hand of the incumbent administration ahead of 2027.”
“Democratic competition is based on a level playing field. A system where one party has a one-year head start while others are forced to meet impossible deadlines is rigged and corrupt,” said National Publicity Secretary Balaji Abdulati.
The party noted that the ruling party began its digital membership registration in February 2025, nearly a year before it became a legal requirement, giving it an unfair advantage over other parties, which now have just over a month to comply.
“These are not housekeeping rules. They are deliberately constructed barriers to exclude opposition from partaking in the coming election,” the ADC statement added.
The opposition party said it has joined other parties in rejecting the Electoral Act 2026 and, by extension, INEC’s timetable, arguing that it serves President Tinubu’s self-succession ambitions.
In a firm warning, the ADC emphasized that it will not legitimize what it considers a fraudulent system and is actively reviewing its legal and political options.
Furthermore, the party called on civil society, democratic stakeholders, and patriotic Nigerians to scrutinize the timetable and demand fairness, stressing that no democracy can endure if rules are written to suit predetermined outcomes.