2027: ADC Says INEC Blocking It From Fielding Candidates

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, of deliberately obstructing it from fielding candidates in the 2027 general elections.

The party said that the electoral umpire 

was creating “administrative landmines” by refusing to accept official correspondences from the party pending a court ruling on its leadership dispute, noting that this stance, contradicts timelines stipulated in the Electoral Act and could effectively exclude it from the electoral process.

INEC is yet to react the ADC's allegations of bias against the party.

Already, tensions are mounting even as the ADC youth wing has issued a 72-hour ultimatum to INEC to reverse its decision and recognise the Senator David Mark-led leadership, warning that failure to reverse the order would trigger nationwide protests and demands for the removal of the INEC chairman.

Earlier, the Media Office of Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, alleged a coordinated plot by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to prevent him from contesting in 2027. The camp claimed that internal crises within opposition parties were being orchestrated to weaken his chances.

However, the APC, through an aide to its National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda, dismissed the allegations, insisting the party was not involved in Obi’s political challenges, urging him to resolve internal party issues.

However, in a detailed statement, the ADC maintained that INEC had previously monitored, documented, and recognised its leadership structure, including the emergence of David Mark as chairman. It described the commission’s current position as contradictory and capable of forcing the party into “artificial non-compliance” with electoral guidelines.

Meanwhile, civil society groups under the umbrella of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC,

have also weighed in, warning that INEC’s actions could undermine Nigeria’s multi-party democracy and erode public confidence in the electoral process.