The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council has warned against any alleged move to postpone the January 16, 2027, presidential election, accusing political actors of potentially using the Ebola outbreak as a justification to alter the electoral timetable.
The council alleged that the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, could be summoned to the Presidential Villa and pressured to shift the election date with about 80 days to the polls.
However, the council did not provide evidence to substantiate the allegation or establish that such a meeting had been scheduled.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by its Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the council urged Amupitan to resist any attempt to change the election date for political reasons.
“The election date belongs to Nigerians. It must not be rewritten behind closed doors at the Villa,” the council said.
The opposition campaign council also challenged President Bola Tinubu to seek re-election through the ballot box rather than benefit from any postponement that could extend his time in office.
“If President Tinubu believes Nigerians want another four years of his government, he should face them at the ballot box, not seek more time through the back door,” the statement added.
The council argued that Nigerians had endured about three and a half years of rising prices, reduced purchasing power and economic hardship, insisting that voters should have the opportunity to assess the administration’s performance during the scheduled election.
It warned that changing the electoral timetable without compelling and verifiable reasons could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
On concerns surrounding Ebola, the ADC council acknowledged the seriousness of the public health threat but cautioned against exploiting the situation for political purposes.
“Ebola is a serious public health concern. Health professionals must be free to contain it, and INEC must take every necessary step to protect voters and election workers,” the council stated.
It further claimed that the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control had indicated that there was currently no reason to postpone the election.
The council urged INEC to implement appropriate health and safety measures for voters and election personnel while maintaining the published electoral timetable.
It also called on domestic election observers and international monitoring organisations to closely scrutinise any proposal to change the election date.
According to the council, any decision to alter the timetable must be backed by publicly available health evidence and subjected to public scrutiny.
“The presidency must not use a health emergency to escape an electoral verdict,” the statement said.
The allegation comes amid concerns about the possible implications of public health emergencies for electoral preparations. A change in the election timetable could affect political parties, candidates, voters and election administrators.
However, the ADC council’s statement did not establish that Tinubu had summoned the INEC chairman or that the Presidency or the electoral commission had formally proposed postponing the election.
Neither the Presidency nor INEC was quoted as responding to the allegation in the statement made available by the council.
The ADC maintained that the January 16, 2027, presidential election should proceed as scheduled, insisting that any proposed change must be supported by verifiable circumstances rather than private political discussions.
