The African Democratic Congress has welcomed the Independent National Electoral Commission’s announcement of the timetable for the 2027 general elections, stressing that the credibility of the polls will hinge on the timely and transparent real-time transmission of results.
In a statement on Friday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the credibility of the elections depends not only on the timetable but also on transparent procedures.
Our correspondent reports that INEC earlier released the schedule, fixing party primaries between May 22 and June 20, 2026, for the nomination of candidates.
The presidential and National Assembly elections are slated for February 20, 2027, while governorship and state assembly polls will be held on March 6, 2027.
Reacting, the party called on INEC to outline concrete measures to prevent manipulation and urged the National Assembly to pass a binding law to remove any ambiguity surrounding real-time electronic transmission of results.
The statement read, “We welcome the early release of the timetable, which provides political parties, stakeholders and the Nigerian electorate with the needed clarity for long-term planning and democratic preparation.
“However, the credibility of the 2027 general elections will ultimately not be judged by the timeliness of the timetable alone, but by the commission’s demonstrable commitment to transparency, technological integrity and strict adherence to due process throughout the electoral cycle.
“Of particular importance is the question of real-time electronic transmission of results. While the commission has indicated that it will operate within the ambit of the law, the current Electoral Act still leaves procedural discretion in critical areas that directly affect public confidence.
“In his recent engagement with the media, the INEC Chairman acknowledged the commission’s technological capacity to deploy electronic transmission and affirmed that the commission will continue to use technology in the conduct of elections.”
The party again urged the National Assembly to swiftly enact a binding law that clarifies electronic result transmission and strengthens the legal framework for transparent elections.
It added, “ADC therefore urges INEC to provide early and unambiguous clarity to Nigerians on its readiness to adopt real-time electronic transmission of results should the necessary legal amendments be enacted.
“Beyond this, the commission should clearly outline the specific guardrails, both manual and electronic, that will be deployed to safeguard the integrity of results management and prevent any recurrence of the irregularities that have troubled recent off-cycle elections.
“Nigerians have shown, time and again, that they are ready to defend the sanctity of their votes. What is now required is for the electoral umpire to match that civic vigilance with institutional clarity, operational transparency and administrative excellence.”
