ADC cautions NASS against early elections, says plan may truncate governance
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has cautioned the National Assembly against the proposed amendments to hold the 2027 general elections in November 2026, citing governance risks.
The party, in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, on Tuesday in Abuja, warned that the move might truncate governance, destabilise development plans, and plunge Nigeria into endless electioneering cycles.
It, therefore, urged the lawmakers to abandon the plan and instead, pursue reforms to strengthen electoral credibility, expedite justice, and protect Nigeria’s democratic institutions from unnecessary political distractions.
Although ADC noted that the proposal was aimed at allowing time for resolving petitions before inauguration, it, however, warned that it could create deeper democratic challenges than it intended to fix.
“Cutting six months from the political calendar means an accelerated campaign season, reducing time for real governance and disrupting development programmes across federal and state administrations alike.
“Elections in November 2026 mean political campaigns begin by 2025, leaving barely two years of serious governance before office holders start focusing solely on elections.
“This shift could cause ministers, governors, and the president to prioritise re-election efforts over public service, stalling policies and abandoning critical developmental projects prematurely.
“Without the amendment, current office holders have already prioritised power over performance and elections dominate governance cycles, highlighting the danger of accelerating Nigeria’s existing culture of continuous politicking,” Mr Abdullahi said.
According to him, even now, the state and federal structures are already in campaign mode, stressing that shortening tenures would worsen an already toxic political environment and harm democratic growth.
He emphasised that if the true goal was ensuring that petitions were settled before inauguration, the solution lay not in date change but in institutional and judicial electoral system reforms.
“Strengthening tribunals, enforcing strict petition timelines, and boosting INEC and judicial capacity are better answers than disrupting the political calendar or shortening elected officials’ mandates.
“Other democracies like Kenya, Indonesia, Ghana, and South Africa ensure timely petition resolutions through efficient courts without changing the timing of general elections or inaugurations.
“Kenya’s constitution allows 14 days for resolving presidential election petitions, while Ghana and Indonesia also follow strict timelines to maintain both governance stability and electoral justice.
“Such global examples prove institutional efficiency, not election rescheduling.
“Changing dates without fixing deeper institutional problems only delays justice and encourages inefficiency, offering no real solution to Nigeria’s electoral challenges,” he added.
According to him, Nigerians deserve leaders who focus on governance rather than endless campaigning.
“The system must prioritise development, not politics, by preserving electoral timelines and reforming weak institutions,” he said.
The ADC spokesperson, therefore, urged the National Assembly to drop the amendment plan and instead pursue comprehensive electoral reform to secure credible elections and fast-track election-related judicial processes.
National Assembly’s proposals
On Monday, the National Assembly said it was proposing the conclusion of all election litigation matters before the swearing-in of winners in every election contest organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The proposed amendment also sought to conduct elections six months before the expiration of the tenure of an elected incumbent.
Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters, Adebayo Balogun, gave the highlights of some of the proposed amendments at the end of a one-day Public Hearing on the repeal of the 2022 Electoral Act and enactment of the 2025 Electoral Act.
Mr Balogun said that the aim was to give enough time for the disposal of election litigations before the swearing-in of declared winners.
He said that Section 285 of the 1999 Constitution would be further amended, just as Section 139 would also be amended.
“To ensure that all manner of election litigations are dispensed with, before the swearing-in of winners, we are proposing an amendment that will reduce 180 days of tribunal judgment to 90 days.
“The 90 days expected of judgment by the Appellate Court to 60 days up to the Supreme Court, which will all not exceed 185 days.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that highlights of the proposal for the amendments sought in the 2022 Electoral Act indicate that elections into offices should be conducted not later than 185 days before the expiration of the tenure of the incumbent.
According to the proposal document, Section 4 (7) states that elections into the office of the President and Governor of a State shall be held not later than 185 days before the expiration of the term of office of the last holder of the office.
“For the Federal and State legislators, Section 4(5) of the proposed amendment states that election into the State Houses of Assembly and the National Assembly shall be held not later than 185 days before the date on which each of the Houses stands dissolved.”
On resolving the constitutional impasse against the amendment, the draft proposal showed that section 28, now section 27 (5 – 7), was introduced due to amendments to Sections 76, 116, 132, and 178 of the Constitution.
The amendments sought to remove the determination of the election timeline from the Constitution to the Electoral Act.
Under continuous registration, Section 10 was proposed for amended to include the use of National Identification Number (NIN) in the voters’ registration requirements.
According to the proposal document, INEC is expected to develop software to enable anybody with a NIN to be able to upload it personally for election purposes.
For inclusivity and voting by inmates, it proposed that provision be made for registration and voting by inmates under section 12 (2).
It said that the proposal complied with the existing court judgment that mandated INEC to make provision for inmate voting.
On early voting, the bill also proposed early voting for Nigerians whose official duties prevent them from voting on the main election days.
This, it said, guaranteed their constitutional rights to vote without compromising national security or electoral logistics.
The proposal for compulsory use of a permanent voter’s card is reflected in Sections 18 and 47, deleting Section 22.
While the proposal on notice and timeline of elections in Section 28, now Section 27, was introduced due to sections 76, 116, 132, and 178 of the Constitution.
The proposal also listed categories of Nigerians listed for the pre-poll to include security personnel, officials of the commission, accredited domestic observers, accredited journalists, and ad hoc staff of the commission.
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Other proposed amendments are mandatory electronic transmission of election results, non non-compulsory use of permanent voters’ card, among others.
“The Presiding Officer shall transmit the results, including the total number of accredited voters, to the next level of excuses both electronically and manually.
“It criminalises failure of Presiding Officer or Collation Officer who distributes unstamped ballot papers and results sheets; such erring officers will be jailed for one year or pay a fine of N1 million.”
NAN reports that stakeholders who made presentations at the public hearing, including the representative of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Abdullahi Zuru, aligned with the joint committee’s proposals
(NAN)