The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has rejected the revised election timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), warning that the new schedule and legal requirements could make it “almost impossible” for opposition parties to field candidates for the 2027 general elections.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, said the party’s position stems from its broader objection to the Electoral Act 2026, which he argued contains provisions that create significant compliance hurdles for smaller parties.
“The rejection of the timetable is only consequential to our rejection of the Electoral Act 2026. It is very clear when INEC released its timetable that some of the requirements we will need to meet to field candidates for the 2027 elections, as contained in the Act, are almost impossible for us to meet,” he said on Friday’s edition of the show.
Abdullahi explained that the law requires parties to submit a fully digitalised membership register across all 36 states within a short timeframe when notifying INEC of congresses or conventions.
“What the law expects us to do is that within the next 32 days or so, we will have a digitalised membership register in all the 36 states of the federation that we will be able to submit to INEC while giving them notice of our congresses or conventions. It is almost practically impossible for us to do this,” he said.
READ ALSO: INEC Releases Revised 2027 Elections Timetable; Presidential Poll To Hold Jan 16
‘Structural Disadvantage’
The ADC spokesperson also compared the requirement with the preparations of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), alleging that the governing party had a significant head start.
“We know for a fact that the ruling APC has commenced membership registration since February 2025 and actually hired a consultant to help them in the process of developing a digital register ahead of the 2027 election.
“What took them more than one year to do is what they expect us to do in one month,” he said.
He described the provisions as deliberate obstacles designed to weaken opposition participation.
“Even in practical terms, these are booby traps set in the path of opposition parties because if you look at the law, it says our failure to comply means we will not be able to field candidates for the election… It is all part of the game plan,” the ADC chieftain said.
The party maintains that the timetable, combined with the legal framework, is “not democratic” and could undermine the credibility of the 2027 polls if not reviewed.
Revised Timetable
Nigeria’s preparations for the 2027 general elections entered a new phase after INEC adjusted key dates following the repeal of the Electoral Act 2022 and the enactment of the Electoral Act 2026, signed into law by President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, said the revision was necessary to align the electoral calendar with the new legal framework.
He noted that the commission had initially scheduled the following:
Presidential and National Assembly elections for February 20, 2027
Governorship and State Assembly elections for March 6, 2027
However, the dates were brought forward partly after concerns that the earlier timetable coincided with the Ramadan fasting period.
New Election Dates
This prompted the commission to reschedule the activities for the polls as follows:
Presidential and National Assembly elections: 16 January 2027
Governorship and State Assembly elections: 6 February 2027
INEC also released a detailed build-up schedule, including:
Party primaries (including dispute resolution): April 23 – May 30, 2026
Start of presidential and NASS campaigns: August 19, 2026
Start of governorship and state assembly campaigns: September 9, 2026
Campaigns are required by law to end 24 hours before election day.
Haruna emphasised that the timetable complies with the constitution and urged stakeholders to cooperate to ensure peaceful and credible elections.
Other Electoral Adjustments
Beyond the general elections, INEC announced a minor change to the governorship poll in Osun State, shifting it to August 15, 2026, from the earlier date of August 8.
The Commission said outstanding activities in both the Osun and Ekiti processes would strictly follow the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
While INEC maintains that the revised timetable ensures compliance with the law and inclusivity, opposition parties argue that operational and administrative requirements could reshape the competitive landscape if not revisited.
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