By Our Reporter
Reactions have continued to trail the proposal by the National Assembly to move Nigeria’s 2027 general elections to November 2026 — six months earlier than the traditional February–March schedule.
The proposal was unveiled on Monday at a one-day joint public hearing in Abuja, organized by the Joint Committee on Electoral Matters of the Senate and House of Representatives. Lawmakers argued that the amendment would allow sufficient time for all election litigations to be concluded before the May 29 swearing-in ceremonies.
Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Hon. Adebayo Balogun, explained that the adjustment was designed to “allow sufficient time for the resolution of all election petitions before swearing-in ceremonies.”
However, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has rejected the proposal, warning that it could undermine governance and destabilize the nation’s political process.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, argued that bringing the election date forward would plunge the country into a perpetual campaign cycle, leaving little room for actual governance.
According to Abdullahi, “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.”
He noted that holding elections in November 2026 would mean that political campaigns could begin as early as 2025 — leaving barely two years for meaningful governance before the campaign season takes over.
“The President, ministers, governors, and other public officials seeking re-election or supporting candidates will shift focus from performance to positioning. Policies will stall, projects will be abandoned, and the entire system will tilt toward 2026 instead of 2027,” he said.
Abdullahi further argued that even under the current timetable, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) administration has demonstrated how excessive political obsession with power can stifle national development.
“Even now, we see an administration more focused on political calculations than the welfare of the people. Moving the elections backward will only worsen this unhealthy trend and reduce our democracy to mere electioneering,” he added.
The ADC maintained that if the goal of the proposed amendment is to ensure that election petitions are concluded before inaugurations, the solution should not be to cut short tenures or rush the electoral process.
“The answer lies in strengthening our institutions — enforcing strict timelines for tribunals, reforming electoral laws, and improving the capacity of the judiciary and INEC to deliver timely justice,” the party stated.
With additional reports from the National Posts