Senate stalling electoral bill to undermine 2027 polls, ADC alleges

By Luminous Jannamike, Abuja

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the APC-dominated Senate of deliberately slowing down the passage of the Electoral Bill 2025, warning that the delay could weaken key safeguards and cast a long shadow over the credibility of the 2027 general elections.

The accusation was contained in a statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, in which the ADC said the National Assembly’s failure to urgently pass the bill for presidential assent has raised suspicions of calculated stalling aimed at frustrating critical electoral reforms.

“The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is deeply concerned by the continued prevarications by the National Assembly over the 2025 Electoral Bill, saying failure to promptly pass the bill for urgent presidential assent raises suspicions that the legislature, dominated by the APC ruling party, is deliberately applying delay tactics to frustrate key amendments, especially those intended to make future elections more difficult to rig.

“The ADC also notes that some of the proposed amendments have introduced new compliance and eligibility requirements that need to be properly understood and met by political parties.

“Failure to give sufficient time to understand the provisions of the new law, beyond what is publicly available as proposals, has serious consequences for both political parties and the INEC.

“Lack of clarity as to the electoral guidelines would not only serve as booby traps for opposition political parties but also make it difficult for the INEC to prepare sufficiently and set clear guidelines within the stipulated time,” ADC stated.

Highlighting the urgency of the situation, the ADC pointed to existing legal timelines that remain in force, including the requirement for INEC to publish notices of elections not later than 360 days before a general election.

“For example, the provision that requires INEC to publish notices on election not later than 360 days before the general election remains extant. The implication of this is that even now, there is very little left for manoeuvre.

“The ADC therefore calls on the National Assembly to promptly pass the bill. Any further delays pose serious risk to the integrity of the 2027 general elections and undermine the integrity of the entire electoral process well in advance,” the party said.

The ADC also appealed to civil society organisations, international partners and other political parties to pressure lawmakers to act, insisting that the country cannot afford another disputed election cycle.

“Nigeria cannot afford the cost of another acrimonious or dubious election,” it added.

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