Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The Presidential Campaign Council of the African Democratic Congress has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission against allowing partisan interests to influence the 2027 general elections, insisting that the credibility of the polls will depend largely on the commission's ability to remain independent, transparent and neutral throughout the electoral process.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, by its Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, the ADC-PCC said voter registration figures would have little meaning if eligible Nigerians were unable to collect their Permanent Voter Cards, and it called on INEC to decentralise PVC collection to the ward level, extend collection hours and deploy technology to notify voters when their cards were ready. The statement was a direct response to INEC's World Press Conference held on Tuesday, where the commission announced that voter registration had exceeded 103 million and outlined its preparations for the elections scheduled for January 16 and February 6, 2027.
Ologbondiyan was unequivocal in his assessment of what mattered. "Reading out figures of registration is nothing. What matters is the number of cards actually collected by Nigerians. What gives a citizen power on election day is not that his name is in a register somewhere, but that he has his PVC in his hand," he said. He argued that the commission must ensure that every eligible voter who completes the registration process has an effective opportunity to obtain a PVC before election day. "This country belongs to all of us. INEC's loyalty must be to the Constitution, not to the APC. The ADC stands with Nigerians in demanding an election where votes count and where the PVC truly becomes the weapon of the people to change their destiny," he added.
The ADC-PCC alleged that bureaucratic bottlenecks and delays at PVC collection centres could disenfranchise voters, particularly in areas regarded as opposition strongholds. It urged INEC to ensure that administrative procedures did not create unequal access to voter cards or prevent eligible Nigerians from exercising their constitutional right to vote. "We urge INEC to be independent and not take orders from the APC. INEC must remain an unbiased umpire and not operate as an extension of the ruling party," Ologbondiyan said. He warned that any perception of partisanship would deepen public frustration in a country already grappling with severe economic hardship. "When INEC begins to take dictation from the ruling party, when PVCs are made available in APC strongholds and hidden in opposition areas, then democracy is under threat," he said. "INEC must not become a political party. It must not write its name in the black book of history as the Commission that set Nigeria ablaze because it chose to serve a party instead of the nation."
The campaign council said the ADC presidential candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, remained prepared to participate in the 2027 election, provided the process was free, fair, credible and devoid of violence or manipulation. It pledged to demand compliance with the Constitution and the Electoral Act throughout the electoral cycle, from voter registration and PVC collection to voting, collation and declaration of results. "The ADC won't allow anything short of compliance with our electoral laws. We demand full transparency, neutrality and strict adherence to due process from registration to declaration of results," Ologbondiyan said. He also said the council was closely monitoring INEC's preparations and that Nigerians and the international democratic community were equally watching. "We are carefully watching every step of INEC. Nigerians and the international community too. The Commission should stay neutral, as no institution should push Nigerians to the wall by compromising the electoral process," he said.
The warning did not emerge in isolation. The ADC has consistently challenged INEC's neutrality throughout the pre-election period. In September, the party cautioned the commission against appointing academics who had publicly endorsed political candidates as Returning and Collation Officers, arguing that anyone who campaigns for a candidate cannot be entrusted with counting votes and declaring winners. In July, the party accused INEC and the Nigeria Police Force of blurring the line between the Nigerian state and the ruling All Progressives Congress. In April, the ADC caucus in the House of Representatives called for the removal and prosecution of INEC Chairman Professor Joash Amupitan over allegations of partisanship, claims the commission has consistently denied. The party also warned that INEC's refusal to receive its correspondence could hinder its participation in the 2027 polls.
The context of the ADC's latest intervention is a presidential race that is shaping up to be one of the most consequential in Nigeria's recent history. Atiku is contesting on the ADC platform with former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi as his running mate. President Bola Tinubu is seeking a second term on the APC ticket, former Anambra Governor Peter Obi is flying the flag of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde is running on the Allied Peoples Movement platform. The 2027 election is scheduled for January 16, with the governorship and state assembly elections following on February 6.
INEC has consistently maintained that it is an independent body committed to conducting free, fair and credible elections. The commission has announced that it will deploy 57,000 new BVAS devices, integrate AI auditing tools into its verification process and conduct a nationwide mock accreditation in November 2026 to test its systems. It has also commenced the nationwide collection of PVCs from October 9, 2026, with collection strictly personal and not by proxy.
For Nigerian voters, the ADC's warning carries significant weight. The commission's ability to distribute PVCs equitably, ensure transparent result transmission and resist political pressure will determine whether the 2027 elections are accepted as credible. The ADC has demanded that INEC Chairman Amupitan take immediate steps to make PVC collection more accessible, particularly by moving collection points closer to voters. It also encouraged Nigerians, especially first-time voters, not to be discouraged by administrative difficulties but to complete the electoral process and collect their PVCs. As Ologbondiyan put it, Nigerians have endured hardship, hunger and misgovernance, and they see 2027 as an opportunity for a rescue mission. "Any attempt to rig or tilt the process in favour of the ruling party will be met with lawful and resolute resistance from the people," he said. The coming months will determine whether INEC heeds that warning or whether the 2027 elections become another chapter in Nigeria's long struggle for credible democratic governance.
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