The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has cautioned the National Assembly against its proposed amendments that could move the 2027 general elections to November 2026, warning that this could undermine governance in the country.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party argued that advancing the election date would push Nigeria into a perpetual campaign cycle, shorten the effective period for governance.
ADC warned that the plan will also disrupt development planning, and further weaken institutional focus.
The party urged lawmakers to abandon the idea and instead pursue genuine electoral and judicial reforms that ensure credible elections and timely resolution of disputes without undermining governance stability.
The move, which is contained in the Electoral Act, Amendment Bill 2025, is seeking force electoral body to conuct the presidential and governorship elections before 2027.
The planned amendment is to ensure that all election petitions are concluded before the May 29, 2027, handover date.
Reacting, ADC in the statement said, “By cutting the current political calendar by six months, the proposal threatens to push Nigeria into a state of permanent electioneering, where politics dominates governance and development is perpetually on hold.
“In practice, elections happening in November 2026 mean campaigns will begin as early as 2025. That leaves barely two years of real governance before the political noise takes over. The President, ministers, governors, and other public officials vying for office or campaigning for others will shift their focus from performance to positioning. Policies will stall, projects will be abandoned, and the entire system will tilt towards 2026 instead of 2027.
“Even without the amendments, we can see with the current APC government what happens to a country where an administration is obsessed with power rather than the welfare of the people. Even under the current timetable, the incumbent structures at the state and federal levels are already campaigning. In this regard, moving the elections backward will only accelerate this unhealthy trend and reduce our democracy to mere electioneering.
“If the goal of the proposed amendment is to ensure that election petitions are concluded before inaugurations, the answer is not to cut short tenures or rush the electoral process. The solution lies in strengthening our institutions by enforcing strict timelines for tribunals, reforming electoral laws, and improving the capacity of the judiciary and INEC.”
