The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Nigerian Senate of deliberately delaying the passage of the Electoral Act amendments to achieve a desired purpose.

The ADC, in a press statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, noted that some of the proposed amendments have introduced new compliance and eligibility requirements that need to be properly understood and met by political parties before the 2027 general elections.

The party warned that failure to give sufficient time to understand the provisions of the new law, beyond what is publicly available as proposals, might have serious consequences for both political parties and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“Lack of clarity as to the electoral guidelines would not only serve as booby traps for opposition political parties, but also make it difficult for the INEC to prepare sufficiently and set clear guidelines within the stipulated time,” ADC stated.

It cited an instance of a provision that requires INEC to publish notices on elections not later than 360 days before the general election.

“The implication of this is that even now, there is very little left for manoeuvre,” the party said.

It therefore called on the National Assembly to promptly pass the bill, warning that any further delays would pose a serious risk to the integrity of the 2027 general elections and undermine the integrity of the entire electoral process well in advance.

“Nigeria cannot afford the cost of another acrimonious or dubious election,” ADC further warned.

It also called on civil society organisations, international partners, and all political parties committed to accountable democratic governance to pressure the National Assembly to act swiftly, “as Nigerians cannot afford another election cycle without these critical safeguards in place.”