The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council has raised concerns over an alleged plot to postpone the January 16, 2027 presidential election, claiming that the Ebola outbreak could be used as a reason to alter the electoral timetable.
The council, however, did not provide evidence to substantiate its allegation that President Bola Tinubu might summon the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, to the Presidential Villa to pressure him into shifting the election date.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by its Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the opposition campaign council urged Amupitan to resist any attempt to change the date without a compelling and publicly established justification.
“The election date belongs to Nigerians. It must not be rewritten behind closed doors at the Villa,” the council said.
The ADC also challenged Tinubu to seek re-election through the ballot box, arguing that Nigerians should be allowed to assess his administration’s performance at the polls as scheduled.
“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 cited rising prices, declining purchasing power and economic hardship as reasons voters should be allowed to decide the country’s political future without an unnecessary alteration of the election timetable.
On the Ebola outbreak, the ADC acknowledged the seriousness of the public health concern but warned against using it as a political justification for postponing the election.
“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,” it said.
The campaign council further claimed that the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control had indicated that there was no current justification for postponing the election. It urged INEC to implement appropriate health and safety measures while maintaining the published timetable.
The ADC also called on domestic election observers and international monitoring organisations to scrutinise any proposal to change the election date, insisting that such a decision should be based on verifiable public health evidence.
“The presidency must not use a health emergency to escape an electoral verdict,” the statement said.
However, the council’s statement did not establish that Tinubu had summoned the INEC chairman or that any formal request to postpone the election had been made. Neither the Presidency nor INEC was quoted as responding to the allegation.
The controversy highlights concerns over how a public health emergency could affect electoral preparations, with any change to the timetable potentially affecting political parties, candidates, voters and election administrators.