ADC: Delays in Passage of Electoral Bill 2025 Will Undermine Credibility of 2027 Elections

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Senate, which is dominated by the All Progressives Congress (APC), of deliberately delaying the passage of the Electoral Bill 2025.

In a statement issued yesterday by ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullah, the party insisted that any further delays pose a serious risk to the integrity of the 2027 general election and undermine the integrity of the entire electoral process well in advance.

It noted the various amendments to the Electoral Act 2022, which constitute serious eligibility and compliance risks for political parties if not passed on time.

The party also noted that new provisions on mandatory electronic voter accreditation and the transmission of results were minimum requirements on which the credibility of the 2027 election would depend, and insisted that they must not be sabotaged by unnecessary filibustering.

The ADC said it was deeply concerned by the continued prevarications by the National Assembly over the 2025 Electoral Bill, saying failure to pass the bill for urgent presidential assent promptly raised suspicions that the APC-dominated legislature was deliberately applying delay tactics to frustrate key amendments, especially those intended to make future elections more difficult to rig.

The ADC also noted that some of the proposed amendments introduced new compliance and eligibility requirements that political parties needed to understand and meet.

The ADC spokesman said: ”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,” Abdullahi said.

He cited, ”the provision that requires INEC to publish election notices 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 maneuver.”

The ADC therefore called on the National Assembly to promptly pass the bill, adding ”any further delays pose a serious risk to the integrity of the 2027 general election and undermine the integrity of the entire electoral process well in advance. Nigeria cannot afford the cost of another acrimonious or dubious election.”

The ADC further called on civil society organisations, international partners, and all political parties committed to accountable democratic governance to pressure the National Assembly to act swiftly, as Nigerians cannot afford another election cycle without these critical safeguards in place.