ADC Reacts to Court Judgement on INEC Timetable
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has warned that a recent Federal High Court judgement, which nullified parts of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) timetable for political parties, could lead to a significant number of defections from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) before the 2027 general elections.
The party’s spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the ruling vindicated the ADC’s earlier objections to INEC’s guidelines on membership registration and the conduct of party primaries. He noted that the court found INEC lacked the statutory authority to impose those timelines.
Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja determined that the timetable issued by INEC conflicted with the Electoral Act 2026, meaning the commission could not lawfully prescribe when parties must hold primaries or other pre‑election activities.
The ADC argued that the judgement removes restrictions that had previously discouraged politicians from leaving the APC, thereby strengthening freedom of association and opening up the political space.
According to the party, the decision confirms that the earlier restrictions were intended to deter members from seeking alternative platforms. The ADC predicts that, in the coming days, a mass exodus from the ruling party will become evident.
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