The national assembly’s plan to bring forward the 2027 general election to November 2026, has come strongly opposed by the African Democratic Congress (ADC), stating that such move will undermine government and send the nation into a never-ending political cycle.
The opposition party is responding to the national assembly’s proposal in the Electoral Act Amendment bill 2025, which aims to force the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to hold elections for governorship and president before 2027.
The proposed change, according to the national assembly, is intended to guarantee that all election petitions are settled prior to the handover date of May 29, 2027.
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Reacting, Bolaji Abdullahi, the national publicity secretary for the ADC, stated in a statement on Tuesday that despite the proposal’s good intentions, it would cause more issues for Nigeria’s democracy than it aims to solve.
Abdullahi said that delaying the election by six months would force the nation into “permanent campaign mode,” shorten the amount of time available for government, and interfere with plans for national growth.
Given that the nation currently struggles with leaders who put political power ahead of the general welfare, he claimed the move would further divert public officials from their duties.
“Elections happening in November 2026 mean campaigns will begin as early as 2025,” the ADC spokesperson said.
“That leaves barely two years of real governance before political noise takes over. The president, ministers, governors, and other public officials will shift focus from performance to positioning.
“Policies will stall, projects will be abandoned, and governance will grind to a halt.”
Abdullahi claimed that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had shown how a fixation with power compromises the provision of services even under the current election schedule.
He stated that strengthening the judicial and electoral institutions is a better solution to protracted election disputes than shortening terms or hurrying the process.
Abdullahi refrenced South Africa, Kenya, Indonesia, and Ghana as nations that uphold regular election cycles and swiftly settle disputes through effective legal systems.
“If the goal is to ensure that petitions are concluded before inaugurations, the solution lies in enforcing strict tribunal timelines, reforming electoral laws, and improving institutional capacity,” he said.
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“The amendment we need is the one that ensures timely electoral justice through institutional efficiency, not one that alters the election calendar to accommodate inefficiency,” he said.
He cautioned that changing the date without fixing structural flaws will make Nigeria’s governance deficit worse rather than better.
“The people of Nigeria are not just voters; they are citizens who expect good governance as dividends of democracy,” he said.
“Nigeria cannot afford a system that allows government to campaign for two years and govern for two.”
The ADC urged lawmakers to abandon the proposal in favour of thorough electoral reforms that ensure reliable polls and prompt dispute resolution without jeopardising administration.
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