2027: ADC alleges plot to shift January 16 election, warns Tinubu
By Luminous Jannamike, Abuja
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council has raised concerns about an alleged attempt to influence the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) into postponing the upcoming presidential election scheduled for January 16. The council cautioned President Bola Tinubu against any actions that may be perceived as evading an electoral outcome.
In a statement issued by its Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the council claimed to have received information that INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan might be summoned to the Presidential Villa and pressured to adjust the election timetable with only 80 days remaining until the vote.
Shaibu urged President Tinubu to refrain from pursuing such maneuvers and called on Amupitan to publicly reject any attempts to change the election date. “The election date belongs to Nigerians. It must not be rewritten behind closed doors at the Villa,” the statement read.
The council emphasized that Nigerians have endured significant economic challenges, including rising prices and reduced incomes, and should be allowed to hold the Tinubu administration accountable through the electoral process. “A government that has made life this difficult for Nigerians must not be allowed to postpone its day of judgment,” the council asserted.
While acknowledging the seriousness of the Ebola outbreak, the ADC insisted that health professionals should manage the situation, and INEC must implement necessary measures to ensure the safety of voters and election workers. The council referenced the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), who stated there is currently no justification for delaying the election. They warned against exploiting health concerns as a pretext for postponement.
The ADC called on INEC, domestic observers, and international election monitors to ensure that any proposal to amend the election timetable is made transparently, supported by published health evidence, and subjected to public scrutiny. “The Presidency must not use a health emergency to escape an electoral verdict,” the statement concluded.
