INEC Timetable: ADC Spokesperson Alleges Plot To Exclude Opposition From 2027 Polls

Spokesman of the opposition coalition party, African Democratic Congress (ADC), Bolaji Abdullahi, has accused the Federal Government and electoral authorities of deliberately creating procedural hurdles aimed at shutting out opposition parties from the political process ahead of the 2027 general election.

Abdullahi made the allegation on Friday while appearing on ‘Politics Today’, a Channels Television current affairs programme, where he criticised the newly introduced requirement for political parties to submit a fully digitalised national membership register to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) within a tight deadline.

According to him, while opposition parties do not object to digital membership registration in principle, the timing and scope of the requirement amount to what he described as a “booby trap” designed to the disadvantage of non-ruling parties.

“We are not saying we don’t want to do membership registration. We are not saying we don’t want to digitalise it, and we are not saying we are not ready for an election in January. What we are saying is that this appears like a deliberate encumbrance to ensure that we don’t meet those requirements,” Abdullahi said.

He explained that unlike the 2022 Electoral Act, the amended law now requires parties to collect and transmit detailed personal data—including National Identification Numbers (NIN), passport photographs, voter card numbers and phone numbers—for every member nationwide within about 32 days.

“From Abia to Zamfara, we are expected to gather all this information and transmit it to INEC. Whoever designed this knew exactly what they were doing. It is obvious that the intention is to disadvantage the opposition,” he added.

Abdullahi argued that failure to meet the requirement would invalidate party congresses and conventions, rendering any candidates produced for elections unacceptable to INEC.

“If we don’t submit this digital register, whatever congress or convention we conduct will be invalid. The net conclusion is simple: they don’t want us to participate in the election,” he said.

He further noted that the ADC only became a mainstream opposition platform after a coalition of political groups joined the party in July 2025, adding that internal leadership recognition delays by INEC slowed the commencement of nationwide registration.

“Millions of Nigerians only began joining the ADC after the coalition came in. These things take time. This is why the timing of this requirement is suspicious,” Abdullahi stated.

Warning against what he described as democratic backsliding, Abdullahi said Nigeria must guarantee a level playing field for all political actors.

“If we are practising democracy, there must be fairness. If this is not democracy, then let us know it is monarchy. Then we should prepare to coronate President Bola Tinubu by 2027,” he said.

He called for an extension of the deadline for digital membership submission, insisting that doing so would strengthen participation and restore confidence in the electoral process.

LEADERSHIP reported that INEC on Thursday released a revised timetable outlining timelines for party compliance, voter registration processes, and other pre-election activities.

The timetable required political parties to submit detailed digital membership registers by April 2, 2026, which has led to objections from various opposition political parties.