Abuja: African Democratic Congress (ADC) has stated that the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) decision to halt receiving its correspondence pending a Federal High Court ruling could jeopardize its participation in the 2027 elections.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, in a statement issued in Abuja, emphasized that INEC is central to the emerging crisis. Abdullahi pointed out that while the commission’s action might seem procedural, it clashes with the timelines in the Electoral Act, 2026, which outlines specific compliance windows. These include the mandatory 21-day notice period and subsequent submission requirements within which political parties must complete essential electoral processes.
Abdullahi highlighted that INEC’s actions reveal deliberate administrative barriers designed to prevent the ADC from fielding candidates in the upcoming elections. He expressed serious concerns about a situation seemingly engineered to block the party’s participation. Abdullahi presented documentary evidence to the Nigerian public, including certified INEC records, attendance logs, monitoring reports, and excerpts from the commission’s own affidavit, to establish a consistent record of events.
He further mentioned that INEC monitored the ADC’s July 29, 2025 National Executive Committee meeting, documented proceedings, updated records, and recognized the new leadership, including Sen. David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola. Abdullahi insisted these were not mere claims but facts contained in INEC’s records, asserting that leadership transitions within the party were completed and recognized, and such internal matters fall outside judicial interference.
Despite this documentary trail, INEC has decided not to receive further correspondence from the ADC, which Abdullahi described as a dangerous contradiction. He noted that INEC set May 10 as the submission deadline, yet its refusal to accept ADC correspondence during that period could effectively prevent compliance with statutory requirements. This situation places the ADC in an untenable position, creating a pathway to artificial non-compliance that could justify excluding the party from fielding candidates.
Abdullahi criticized INEC’s claim that its decision was to prevent rendering the Federal High Court proceedings nugatory, arguing that the commission’s intervention undermines the judicial process it claims to uphold. He urged INEC to reverse its position, resume accepting lawful correspondence, and fulfill its constitutional duty to ensure fairness and a level playing field.