2027: ADC Warns Against Using Ebola Outbreak to Delay Presidential Election

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to resist any attempt to postpone the January 16, 2027, presidential election under the pretext of containing the Ebola outbreak.

The council alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was plotting to shift the election date and claimed that INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, could be summoned to the Presidential Villa to discuss the proposed postponement.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the council’s Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, called on President Bola Tinubu to abandon any alleged plan to alter the electoral timetable.

“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 said.

The council urged Amupitan to reject any purported instruction to change the election date and publicly disclose any attempt to exert pressure on the commission.

It argued that Nigerians should be allowed to assess the administration’s performance through the ballot, citing rising prices, declining incomes and economic hardship as reasons voters should not be denied the opportunity to make their choice as scheduled.

While acknowledging the seriousness of the Ebola outbreak, the ADC council said public health authorities should be allowed to implement necessary containment measures without compromising the electoral process.

It also cited remarks attributed to the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) that there was no current justification for postponing the election, warning against using public health concerns as a political pretext for delay.

The council called on INEC, domestic election observers and international monitoring organisations to scrutinise any proposal to alter the electoral timetable.

It maintained that any proposed change should be publicly announced, supported by verifiable health evidence and subjected to public scrutiny.

“The Presidency must not use a health emergency to escape an electoral verdict,” the statement added.

The allegations were made by the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, which did not provide supporting evidence in the statement to substantiate the alleged plan to postpone the election.