The African Democratic Congress has criticised the Senate over what it described as deliberate delays in the passage of the Electoral Bill 2025.
The party accused the APC-dominated upper chamber of adopting tactics that have stalled the bill, warning that the failure to ensure its timely passage for presidential assent raises concerns about an attempt to frustrate critical amendments aimed at safeguarding the credibility of future elections.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC highlighted several proposed amendments to the Electoral Act 2022, noting that delays in their passage pose serious eligibility and compliance risks for political parties.
The party stressed that provisions mandating electronic voter accreditation and electronic transmission of results are fundamental to the credibility of the 2027 general elections and should not be undermined by unnecessary legislative delays.
“The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is deeply concerned by the continued prevarications by the National Assembly over the 2025 Electoral Bill, saying failure to promptly pass the bill for urgent presidential assent raises suspicions that the legislature, dominated by the APC ruling party, is deliberately applying delay tactics to frustrate key amendments, especially those intended to make future elections more difficult to rig,” the party said.
The ADC further noted that some of the proposed amendments introduce new compliance and eligibility requirements that political parties must adequately understand and meet ahead of the next election cycle.
“Failure to give sufficient time to understand the provisions of the new law, beyond what is publicly available as proposals, has serious consequences for both political parties and the 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.
“For example, the provision that requires INEC to publish election notices not later than 360 days before the general election remains extant. The implication of this is that even now, there is very little left for maneuver,” the party noted.
The ADC called on the National Assembly to urgently pass the bill, warning that further delays could jeopardise the integrity of the 2027 general elections and weaken public confidence in the electoral process.
It also urged civil society organisations, international partners and political parties committed to democratic accountability to mount pressure on the National Assembly to act swiftly, insisting that the country cannot afford another election cycle without the proposed safeguards in place.
