The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has expressed concern over the national assembly’s failure to transmit the 2025 Electoral Act amendment bill to the president for assent.
Bolaji Abdullahi, national publicity secretary of the African Democratic Congress, said in a statement on Saturday that the delay fuels concerns that a legislature dominated by the All Progressives Congress is intentionally slowing reforms meant to boost electoral credibility.
He said several proposed changes introduce fresh compliance and eligibility obligations that political parties must clearly understand and properly implement.
Abdullahi warned that insufficient time to examine and adjust to the amendments could create serious operational challenges for political parties and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The ADC spokesperson said uncertainty within the legal framework could result in “potential booby traps” for opposition parties and complicate the ability of INEC to issue timely and unambiguous guidelines.
According to him, the requirement for INEC to publish election notices at least 360 days before a general election, noting that the window for preparation is already narrowing.
Abdullahi urged the national assembly to pass the bill without further hesitation, arguing that continued delay could jeopardise the credibility of the 2027 general election.
“Nigeria cannot afford another acrimonious or dubious election,” the party said, while calling on civil society groups, international partners and pro-democracy political actors to pressure lawmakers to act.
Atiku Abubakar, former vice president, had earlier accused the senate of deliberately frustrating the amendment process.
Opeyemi Bamidele, senate leader, said in a new year message in January that the upper chamber would fast-track the passage of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill.
