The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly rejected the revised 2026–2027 election timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), describing it as a calculated move to shrink democratic space and sideline opposition parties.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party alleged that the updated timetable contains “booby traps” designed to prevent opposition parties from effectively participating in the 2027 general elections.

According to the ADC, the revised schedule could aid President Bola Tinubu’s alleged plot to return unopposed in 2027.

The party specifically faulted new compliance requirements under Sections 77 and 82 of the Electoral Act 2026, arguing that they impose heavy and unrealistic obligations on opposition parties while giving undue advantage to the ruling party.

Under the timetable, party primaries are scheduled to hold between April 23 and May 30, 2026. However, political parties are required to submit comprehensive digital membership registers to INEC by April 2, 2026 — a deadline the ADC says is only 34 days away.

Citing Section 77(7) of the Electoral Act 2026, the party noted that any political party that fails to submit its membership register within the stipulated time “shall not be eligible to field a candidate for that election.”

The ADC argued that this provision creates a near-impossible hurdle, especially considering the detailed requirements outlined in Section 77(2), which mandate that the digital register must include each member’s name, sex, date of birth, address, state, local government, ward, polling unit, National Identification Number (NIN), and photograph in both hard and soft copies.

The party further pointed to Section 77(6), which prohibits the use of any pre-existing membership register that does not meet the newly specified standards.

“These are not housekeeping rules,” the statement read. “They are deliberately constructed barriers to exclude opposition from partaking in the coming election.”

The ADC alleged that the ruling party began compiling its digital membership register as far back as February 2025, long before the requirement became law. It described this as evidence of insider knowledge rather than foresight.

“They had one whole year to carry out an exercise that they expect other political parties to execute in one month,” the statement said, describing the situation as a “practical impossibility.”

The party maintained that democratic competition must be based on a level playing field and accused the system of being rigged to favor incumbency.

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

The ADC concluded by stating that it would not take any action that could legitimize what it described as a fraudulent system, noting that it is currently reviewing its options and would make its next steps known in the coming days.