The African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Tuesday warned the National Assembly against the proposal calling for the amendment of 2027 election dates.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said that moving could undermine governance in the country.
Recall that the National Assembly had proposed to move the presidential and gubernatorial elections from February 2027 to November 2026.
Details of the proposal was discussed during a one-day public hearing organised by the Joint Committee of the Senate and the House of Representatives on Electoral Matters on Monday, October 13.
However, in its statement, the ADC argued that advancing the election date would push Nigeria into a perpetual campaign cycle, shorten the effective period for governance, disrupt development planning, and further weaken institutional focus.
According to Abdullahi, it is pertinent for the National Assembly to abandon the said proposal and focus its energy on electoral and judicial reforms that would strengthen Nigeria’s electoral process.
He also said that the coalition party believes that this amendment, if allowed to push through, risks creating deeper problems for Nigeria’s democracy than it seeks to solve.
“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,” Abdullahi said.
Addressing some of the challenges that may arise from the proposed amendment, Abdullahi said moving the polls by six month would mean that campaigns would begin as early as 2025.
This, he said will only leave barely two years of real governance before the political activities take over the polity.
“Changing the date of elections without fixing the underlying weaknesses in our electoral matters adjudication and other fundamental electoral weaknesses will not solve the problem. Countries that manage early campaigns effectively do so with firm institutional safeguards.
“The people of Nigeria are not just voters, they are citizens who expect good governance as dividends of democracy. Nigeria cannot afford a system that allows government to campaign for two years and govern for two.
“The ADC therefore calls on the National Assembly to shelve this amendment and instead focus on comprehensive electoral reform that guarantees credible elections and quick dispute resolution, without making real service to the people appear merely incidental to politics and politicking,” he added.