Vice-President Kashim Shettima has criticised the African Democratic Congress (ADC) over alleged irregularities in its digital membership registration exercise, accusing the opposition party of failing to manage its online platform effectively.
Shettima made the remarks on Wednesday during an interfaith breaking of fast hosted by President Bola Tinubu and attended by members of the Federal Executive Council.
According to the vice-president, the ADC’s online registration portal was flooded with fictitious names and false identities shortly after it was launched. He argued that the situation contradicted the party’s strong advocacy for electronic transmission of election results.
He further dismissed allegations that opposition governors were pressured into joining the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Shettima maintained that any political realignments were voluntary decisions made by those involved.
The ADC had commenced its nationwide digital membership registration on March 1, 2026, in line with provisions of the amended Electoral Act. The party directed its members to update and validate their details in compliance with new legal requirements and guidelines issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
However, reports later emerged of inconsistencies on the platform, including incorrect personal details, mismatched photographs, and questionable identification numbers. The party subsequently announced that the identified issues had been addressed.
The controversy comes amid broader concerns raised by the ADC over INEC’s revised timetable for the 2027 general elections, released after the enactment of the Electoral Act 2026.
ADC spokesman Bolaji Abdullahi argued that the compressed timeline and new compliance requirements could make it extremely difficult for opposition parties to prepare adequately. He stated that political parties are expected to submit fully digitalised membership registers across all 36 states within a limited period when notifying INEC of their congresses or conventions.
Abdullahi claimed that meeting such conditions within the stipulated timeframe would be practically challenging for many parties. He also alleged that the ruling party had begun its digital registration process much earlier, giving it a strategic advantage.
Under the revised schedule released by INEC, presidential and National Assembly elections are set for January 16, 2027, while governorship and state assembly elections will follow on February 6, 2027. The adjustment was made to prevent a clash with the Ramadan period.
Party primaries are expected to take place between April 23 and May 30, 2026. Campaigns for presidential and National Assembly candidates will commence on August 19, while governorship and state assembly campaigns will begin on September 9. All campaigns must end 24 hours before the respective election dates.
Opposition parties have warned that the tighter timeline may affect preparedness and competitiveness ahead of the 2027 polls.
Be the first to comment