The African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council (ADC-PCC) has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against tilting the 2027 general elections in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to the opposition party, the credibility of the poll will depend largely on the commission’s neutrality and transparency.
The Council also urged the electoral umpire to prioritise the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) by registered voters, insisting that impressive registration figures would amount to little if eligible Nigerians were unable to obtain their cards ahead of the election.
The ADC-PCC made the demand in a statement on Wednesday by its Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, in reaction to INEC’s World Press Conference on Tuesday.
Ologbondiyan said the ADC presidential candidate remained ready to participate in the 2027 election provided INEC guaranteed a free, fair, credible and violence-free process.
“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.
The ADC Council alleged that bureaucratic bottlenecks and delays at PVC collection centres could disenfranchise voters, particularly in areas considered opposition strongholds.
It therefore urged INEC to decentralise PVC collection to the ward level, extend collection hours and deploy technology to notify voters when their cards are ready.
“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 the ADC would insist on strict compliance with the Constitution and Electoral Act from voter registration through the declaration of results.
The spokesman said the 2027 election was being viewed by Nigerians as an opportunity to change government through the ballot after years of hardship, hunger and what he described as misgovernance under the APC.
“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 warned.
Ologbondiyan further cautioned that unequal distribution or delayed release of PVCs could threaten democracy, saying INEC must not allow partisan interests to compromise the electoral process.
He urged Nigerians, particularly first-time voters, not to be discouraged by administrative challenges but to ensure they collected their PVCs, declaring: “INEC’s loyalty must be to the Constitution, not to the APC.”
