ABUJA, Nigeria — The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the APC-dominated Senate of deliberately slowing the passage of the Electoral Bill 2025, warning that continued delays could weaken safeguards meant to improve transparency and fuel doubts about the credibility of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said the National Assembly’s failure to urgently transmit the bill for presidential assent has raised concerns that lawmakers are stalling amendments designed to make future elections harder to manipulate.
The ADC said it was particularly worried that some of the proposed changes introduce fresh compliance and eligibility requirements that political parties and the election management body must fully understand and implement. The party argued that leaving reforms unresolved for too long could create “unclear guidelines” that become traps for opposition parties and complicate preparations by INEC, which must issue regulations and operational instructions within timelines set by law.
The statement pointed to existing statutory deadlines already in force under the Electoral Act 2022, including the requirement that INEC publish a notice of election not later than 360 days before polling day. The ADC said that if the legal framework is amended late—close to when key election timetables must be activated—parties may have insufficient time to study, adjust processes, and comply, while INEC may struggle to finalise clear rules early enough for a smooth rollout.
Policy analysts note that parts of the proposed Electoral Bill 2025 touch on issues that affect both party administration and election operations, including tightening language on early release of election funds, updates to voter identification and registration provisions, and tougher sanctions for some offences—changes that would require significant planning, training and public communication if adopted.
The ADC urged lawmakers to accelerate work on the bill and appealed to civil society groups, international partners and other parties to press the legislature to act, arguing that uncertainty around the rules of the contest well ahead of 2027 could undermine confidence in the entire process
