The Amended Electoral Act Sets Near-Impracticable Conditions for 2027 Elections – ADC

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has expressed strong reservations about provisions of Nigeria’s amended Electoral Act, arguing that the law places excessively stringent and impractical demands on political parties seeking to participate fully in the 2027 general elections. The party says these requirements, when combined with the timetable recently released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), create significant hurdles that are difficult to overcome within the available timeframe.

Speaking on the issue, Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesperson of the ADC, stated that the party faces an uphill task in meeting the legal prerequisites needed to field candidates nationwide. Central to the ADC’s complaint is the requirement that political parties must submit a fully digitalised membership register covering all 36 states of the federation within a very short period.

According to Abdullahi, the timelines implied by the INEC schedule mean that parties effectively have just over a month to complete this process while simultaneously issuing statutory notices for congresses or national conventions. He described this expectation as “almost practically impossible,” especially for parties that are not already deeply entrenched or financially robust.

“The law expects us, within the next 32 days or so, to have a digitalised membership register in all the 36 states of the federation that we can submit to INEC while also giving notice of our congresses or convention,” Abdullahi said. “This is not a simple administrative task that can be completed overnight.”

The ADC spokesperson contrasted his party’s situation with that of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), noting that the APC reportedly began its membership registration and digitisation process as far back as February 2025. According to him, the ruling party hired consultants and invested more than a year building a digital database in preparation for the 2027 elections. Expecting smaller or newer parties to achieve the same feat in roughly one month, he argued, raises serious questions about fairness and inclusivity in Nigeria’s electoral framework.

“What took the ruling party more than one year to do is what the law now expects us to do within one month,” Abdullahi added, suggesting that the amended Electoral Act inadvertently entrenches inequality among political parties.

The concerns raised by the ADC have sparked intense debate among political observers and citizens. Critics of the party argue that the requirement for a digital membership register has been part of the Electoral Act since 2022, giving parties ample time to prepare. They contend that failure to comply reflects poor planning rather than a flaw in the law itself. Some commentators have also noted that other smaller parties, including those with limited resources, have managed to build basic digital registers using relatively simple tools.

On the other hand, supporters of the ADC insist that while the requirement may not be new, its strict enforcement under compressed timelines places opposition parties at a disadvantage. They argue that democracy thrives on a level playing field and that electoral laws should not, even indirectly, suppress political competition.

INEC, the body responsible for conducting elections and enforcing the provisions of the Electoral Act, has maintained that its timetable and requirements are guided strictly by law. As an independent umpire, the commission insists it cannot alter statutory provisions to accommodate parties that are unprepared.

As Nigeria inches closer to the 2027 general elections, the controversy underscores broader concerns about the strength of opposition parties, institutional readiness, and the balance between regulation and inclusiveness in the country’s democratic process. Whether the ADC and other parties can adapt quickly enough—or seek legal or political remedies—remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that compliance with the amended Electoral Act will be a decisive factor in shaping the political landscape ahead of 2027.