The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council has warned against any attempt to postpone the January 16, 2027 presidential election, alleging that the Ebola outbreak could be used as an excuse to alter the electoral timetable.
The council raised the concern in a statement issued on Wednesday by its Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, in which it urged the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, to resist any pressure to change the election date.
The ADC alleged that Amupitan could be summoned to the Presidential Villa and pressured to postpone the poll. However, it did not provide evidence that such a meeting had been planned or that any formal move to shift the election had been initiated.
“The election date belongs to Nigerians. It must not be rewritten behind closed doors at the Villa,” the council said.
The opposition campaign council challenged President Bola Tinubu to seek another term through the ballot box, insisting that voters should be allowed to decide the fate of his administration on the scheduled date.
“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 pointed to rising prices, declining purchasing power and economic hardship, arguing that the electorate should have the opportunity to assess the administration’s performance without an unjustified change to the election timetable.
On the Ebola outbreak, the ADC acknowledged the need for urgent public health measures but cautioned against turning the situation into a political reason to delay the poll.
“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 statement said.
The council also claimed that the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control had indicated that there was no current reason to postpone the election. It urged INEC to put adequate safeguards in place for voters and election personnel while adhering to the announced timetable.
It further called on local election observers and international monitoring organisations to closely scrutinise any proposal to change the date, insisting that such a decision must be backed by verifiable public health evidence and subjected to public scrutiny.
“The presidency must not use a health emergency to escape an electoral verdict,” the council said.
As of the statement, there was no confirmation that the President had summoned the INEC chairman or that the commission had received a formal request to postpone the election. The Presidency and INEC were not quoted as responding to the allegation.
The development raises questions about the relationship between public health emergencies and election planning, with the ADC insisting that any change to the January 16, 2027 date must be justified by clear evidence rather than private political discussions.
