…Says Nov. 2026 Election Plan Will Truncate Governance, Stall Development
By Jeremy Fregene
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) yesterday accused the National Assembly of attempting to sabotage governance through its proposed constitutional amendment to conduct the 2027 presidential and governorship elections in November 2026.
In a statement issued in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party cautioned that the move could truncate governance, destabilise development plans, and plunge Nigeria into endless electioneering cycles.
Abdullahi said the plan, though presented as a reform to allow sufficient time for the resolution of election petitions before inauguration, could in fact create deeper democratic challenges than it intended to fix.
“Cutting six months from the political calendar means an accelerated campaign season, reducing time for real governance and disrupting development programmes across federal and state administrations alike,” he said.
“Elections in November 2026 mean political campaigns begin by 2025, leaving barely two years of serious governance before office holders start focusing solely on elections.
“This shift could cause ministers, governors, and the president to prioritise re-election efforts over public service, stalling policies and abandoning critical developmental projects prematurely,” Abdullahi warned.
He added that even under the current timetable, elected officials were already prioritising power over performance, with elections dominating governance cycles — a trend he said the proposed change would only worsen.
“Without the amendment, current office holders have already prioritised power over performance and elections dominate governance cycles, highlighting the danger of accelerating Nigeria’s existing culture of continuous politicking,” he said.
According to Abdullahi, if the true goal of the proposal was to ensure that election petitions were concluded before inauguration, the answer lay in strengthening Nigeria’s judicial and electoral institutions, not in tampering with the calendar.
“Strengthening tribunals, enforcing strict petition timelines, and boosting INEC and judicial capacity are better answers than disrupting the political calendar or shortening elected officials’ mandates,” he said.
He noted that other democracies such as Kenya, Indonesia, Ghana, and South Africa achieved timely petition resolutions through efficient judicial systems without altering election or inauguration dates.
“Kenya’s constitution allows 14 days for resolving presidential election petitions, while Ghana and Indonesia also follow strict timelines to maintain both governance stability and electoral justice,” Abdullahi said. “Such global examples prove institutional efficiency, not election rescheduling.”
He emphasised that Nigeria’s priority should be governance, not politics, warning that constant politicking undermined stability and development.
“Nigerians deserve leaders who focus on governance, not endless campaigning. The system must prioritise development, not politics, by preserving electoral timelines and reforming weak institutions,” Abdullahi added.
The ADC spokesman therefore urged the National Assembly to drop the plan and instead focus on comprehensive reforms to secure credible elections and fast-track judicial processes related to electoral disputes.
Recall that the National Assembly has proposed amendments to the 2022 Electoral Act that would move presidential and gubernatorial elections to November 2026, six months before the expiration of the current tenure on May 29, 2027.
The proposal, as contained in the draft amendment and discussed during a public hearing by the Joint Committee on Electoral Matters, is intended to give sufficient time for the resolution of election petitions before swearing-in ceremonies.
However, the ADC maintained that such changes would do more harm than good, warning that the move could create instability, weaken governance, and entrench Nigeria in perpetual campaign mode.