2027: ADC Accuses INEC of Deliberate Sabotage, Warns of Possible Election Postponement
By Pan Afric Reporters
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of deliberately undermining preparations for the 2027 general elections, alleging that the Commission’s handling of irregularities in the voters’ register could provide grounds for postponing the polls.
The opposition party made the allegation in a press statement issued on Friday, October 30, 2026, and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, in which it raised concerns over alleged AI-generated photographs and fictitious entries in the voters’ register, as well as INEC’s failure to publish the preliminary register within the statutory timeframe.
The ADC said the alleged irregularities, particularly INEC’s reported admission that some registration officers introduced them, raised questions about the Commission’s preparedness and commitment to conducting credible elections.
The party also questioned why officials allegedly responsible for compromising the register had not been arrested or handed over for prosecution.
“If INEC knows that its own officials compromised the voters’ register with AI-generated photographs, why has nobody been arrested? Why have these individuals not been handed over for prosecution? What exactly is INEC waiting for?” the party asked.
The ADC further accused the electoral commission of failing to comply with Section 19(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, which it said requires the preliminary voters’ register to be made available for public scrutiny not later than 90 days before the general election.
It also cited Section 19(5), which it said makes failure by an INEC official to comply with the publication requirement a criminal offence punishable by a fine, imprisonment or both.
Expressing concern over what it described as repeated administrative failures, the party questioned whether INEC’s conduct amounted to deliberate sabotage rather than incompetence.
“We are beginning to wonder whether INEC is intentionally trying to make itself incompetent. Because how else do you explain an electoral umpire that had at least three years to prepare for elections, but is suddenly unable or unwilling to produce a credible voters’ register in accordance with the strict requirements of the law?” the statement said.
The party warned that the alleged disregard for statutory requirements could undermine public confidence in other electoral safeguards, including the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the use of serialised ballot papers on election day.
“If INEC can disregard the Electoral Act today, what assurance do Nigerians have that it will obey the law on Election Day?” the ADC queried.
It added that an electoral body that treated compliance with the law on voters’ register publication as discretionary could not be trusted to enforce other mandatory provisions during the polls.
Consequently, the opposition party demanded an independent forensic audit of the voters’ register, the identification and investigation of officials implicated in the alleged irregularities, and a comprehensive public explanation from INEC over its failure to comply with the statutory publication requirement.
The ADC also linked the Commission’s actions to concerns about a possible postponement of the 2027 elections, despite repeated denials by the Federal Government of any plan to shift the election dates.
“The 2027 elections cannot be left to the discretion of an electoral umpire that appears increasingly comfortable with breaking its own rules. INEC must understand that compliance with the Electoral Act is not optional,” the party declared.
The party insisted that Nigerians deserved credible elections rather than what it described as a succession of excuses capable of preparing the electorate for a predetermined outcome.
