ADC Rejects INEC’s Revised Poll Schedule, Alleges Plot to Edge Out Opposition
*Bode George warns APC, electoral body against malpractices
*New timetable favours ruling party, Olawepo- Hashim insists
*CSOs express divergent views
Chuks Okocha in Abuja, Segun James and Sunday Ehighiator in Lagos
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) yesterday rejected the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) updated 2026–2027 electoral timetable, alleging that it contains booby-traps that could aid President Bola Tinubu’s plot to be returned unopposed in 2027.
Agreeing with the opposition coalition, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain who has thrown his hat into the ring to challenge Tinubu in 2027, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, insisted that the revised timetable favours the ruling party.
Lending his voice to the issue, another PDP chieftain, Chief Bode George, warned the All Progressives Congress (APC) and INEC to desist from cheating and any form of malpractice during the election.
Also, civil society organisations (CSOs) called for concern for the elections to go beyond the new dates and focus on how the action can lead to a credible election based.
However, human rights and electoral Advocates, Yiaga Africa backed INEC on the new dates, pointing out that the electoral body did the right thing by picking new dates for a seamless conduct of elections.
Specifically, the ADC flagged the new compliance requirements under Sections 77 and 82 of the Electoral Act 2026, which unfairly burden opposition parties while giving undue advantage to the ruling party.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said the requirement for political parties to submit a comprehensive digital membership register by April 2, 2026, ahead of primaries scheduled between 23 April and 30 May 2026, creates a near-impossible hurdle that could exclude other parties from fielding candidates.
The ADC contended that with this requirement, among others contained in what it termed as obnoxious Electoral Act 2026, “the so-called reform has effectively become an instrument of exclusion to clear the field for President Tinubu.”
According to Abdullahi, ”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.
”According to the timetable, party primaries are to be conducted between 23 April and 30 May 2026, just 55 to 92 days from today.
“However; what is more significant is that pursuant to Section 77(4) of the Electoral Act 2026, political parties are required to submit their digital membership registers to INEC not later than 2 April 2026.
”That is only 34 days away. Section 77(7) further provides that any party that fails to submit its membership register within the stipulated time “shall not be eligible to field a candidate for that election.”
It further stated: “These are not house-keeping rules. They are deliberately constructed barriers to exclude opposition from partaking in the coming election.
”It is significant to note also that Section 77(2) of the Electoral Act 2026 prescribes that the digital register of members must contain their name, sex, date of birth, address, state, local government, ward, polling unit, National Identification Number (NIN), and photograph in both hard and soft copies, while Section 77(6) prohibits the use of any pre-existing register other than the one that contains the specific information above.
“According to this law, failure to meet these requirements would result in disqualification,” Abdullahi stated.
He said, ”what makes this requirement of digital membership particularly insidious is that the ruling party had commenced the process of this registration since February 2025, long before it became a requirement of the law.
“This is not a product of foresight, but insider knowledge. They knew what was coming. They therefore had one whole year to carry out an exercise that they expect other political parties to execute in one month, during which they must collect, process and collate vast digital data and transmit same to INEC by the deadline under the threat of total exclusion. This is more or less a practical impossibility.
”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,” he added.
“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 scrutinise 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”, the ADC spokesman stated further.
Olawepo-Hashim Faults INEC on New Timetable
PDP Chieftain, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, faulted the Chairman of INEC, Joash Amupitan on the revised timetable.
Addressing journalists at a press conference in Abuja, Hashim rejected the adjusted schedule for party primaries released by INEC, describing it as an overreach. He alleged that it was structured to favour the APC.
According to him, INEC does not have the authority to dictate when political parties should conduct their primaries.
“It’s not the business of INEC to dictate to parties when they should conduct nominations of candidates for elections,” he added.
“This shows that Amupitan cannot be trusted. It’s either he resigns or Nigerians will embark on mass action to force him out. He should not be allowed to stay a day longer in that office,” he said.
He alleged that moving the primaries to an earlier date was a deliberate attempt to weaken opposition parties currently dealing with internal disputes.
“He’s deliberately working to favour the APC, having destabilised other political parties who are trying to sort out themselves in court. That is disingenuous and wrong,” he said.
“For us to have an acceptable, free and fair election in 2027, INEC has to be reconstituted. Rushing out an ill thought out timetable after what we consider a poor performance in the Abuja Area Council election shows that the chairman cannot be entrusted with the 2027 general election,” Olawepo-Hashim argued.
He warned against conducting elections whose outcomes, in his view, could become predictable, describing such a scenario as unjust to taxpayers.
The former presidential aspirant maintained that primaries are internal affairs of political parties, provided they comply with the Electoral Act’s nomination deadlines.
“INEC is not a headmaster that can impose what it wants on political parties. As long as parties comply with the Electoral Act regarding submission timelines, they have the right to determine when to hold their primaries,” he stated.
Bode George Warns APC, INEC Against malpractices
In a related development, Chief Olabode George warned the APC and INEC against engaging in electoral malpractice ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He issued the warning yesterday during the inauguration of new PDP executives in Lagos State, alleging that the ruling party was pushing Nigerians to the brink by plotting to rig the 2027 polls.
He cautioned INEC to exercise fairness and transparency, stressing that the Commission lacks constitutional authority to impose leaders on political parties.
“In PDP, INEC cannot choose our leaders for us. Opposition parties will resist this irresponsible behaviour from the electoral umpire,” he said.
The PDP chieftain criticised the conduct of a recent election, describing it as shambolic and mismanaged. He alleged that security agents disrupted voting at a polling unit in Abuja by firing tear gas and snatching ballot boxes.
“This is shameful and despicable,” he said.
Assuring members of a renewed PDP, George said anti-democratic elements within the APC would not be allowed to undermine the opposition.
“Our governors and lawmakers are being forced and threatened to defect, but we are not bothered because PDP is the only true national party in the country today. APC is just a coalition of strange bedfellows,” he said.
He contrasted PDP’s internal processes with those of the APC, arguing that the opposition party conducted its ward, council, state congresses, and national convention transparently.
George urged party members to remain steadfast despite ongoing challenges, describing them as temporary.
“Nigerians are waiting for us in 2027. Remain in the party and work for its progress. If APC thinks it can repeat the same in 2027, Nigerians will shock them,” he said.
CSOs: Credibility of Electoral Process Should Be the Focus
Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) called for integrity, institutional discipline and deeper voter education following the release of a new election timetable by INEC.
Reacting to the development, Executive Director of the COMPPART Foundation for Justice and Peacebuilding, Saviour Akpan, while speaking with THISDAY, said the debate should go beyond dates on a calendar to the credibility of the entire electoral process.
“It is not about the timetable,” Akpan said. “What should bother us as a nation should be whether we have the conscience to play the game according to the rules that we have set for ourselves,” he added.
He questioned the nation’s preparedness to conduct elections that would meet acceptable standards of transparency and fairness, warning that even an earlier poll would not guarantee credibility without systemic reforms.
“Even if they want to conduct the election tomorrow, will it stand the test of integrity?” he asked.
Akpan also raised concerns about what he described as the growing trend of “democracy by court order,” where electoral outcomes are frequently determined by judicial pronouncements rather than the ballot.
“Another very important issue is the court. Have we been able to detach our elections and electoral outcomes from being a ‘democracy by court order?” he queried.
Akpan further challenged political parties, particularly opposition parties, to prioritise voter education and grassroots engagement ahead of the 2027 polls.
“It is very shameful that opposition political parties are concerned more about defections instead of carrying out serious voter education, bearing in mind that power belongs to the people,” he added.
In a similar vein, the Executive Director of Conscientious Alliance Movement (CAM), Joel Tokurah urged stakeholders to look beyond scheduling issues.
According to her, “Politics is officially in full swing, everything is moving fast, and this year is already loaded. At the end of the day, we demand a free and fair election. That’s all that really matters.”
While commending the compromise reflected in the new timetable, Tokurah expressed reservations about the public discourse around religious observances as a reason for shifting dates.
Even though I don’t think Ramadan fast is a tenable reason to move dates, the elections are too close for the needless back and forth. This is important as people are generally irrational when it comes to religion,” she said.
“Ekiti governorship election is June 20, 2026. Osun governorship election is August 8, 2026. Presidential election January 16, 2027. Nigeria is about to have three major elections in eight months. INEC’s capacity, funding, independence and neutrality will all be tested simultaneously.
“Date doesn’t matter, but can you guarantee Nigerians a free and fair election? That’s the real question,” she said.
Yiaga Africa Commends INEC on New Dates
The Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo yesterday said the adjustment by INEC to the 2027 general election was a welcome development, saying it aligns with calls earlier made by civil society groups.
Reacting to the new INEC 2027 general election schedules, Itodo said, ”Yiaga Africa welcomes the release of the revised election timetable, which aligns with calls previously made by civil society organisations, including Yiaga Africa. ”
He said that the revision was inevitable following the new provisions introduced in the Electoral Act 2026.
Itodo said the new timetable, as released by INEC, makes the schedule to have the right election dates and programmes.
However, he said, ”the updated timetable prescribes notably tight timeframes for critical electoral activities.
”While we acknowledge the necessity of adjusting the dates, we urge all relevant stakeholders to not only comply strictly with the timelines but also ensure diligent and thorough execution of each activity.”
”The compressed schedule raises legitimate concerns about the quality and integrity of key preparatory processes.
”We hope that, despite these constraints, the nation will be adequately prepared ahead of the January elections—the first time since 1999 that Nigeria’s general elections will be conducted in January.”
