The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has demanded an end to the manipulation of Nigeria’s electoral process and intimidation of voters and political actors ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The National Chairman of the party, Senator David Mark, made the demand on Wednesday in Abuja when he received a delegation of the International Republican Institute (IRI), led by its African Regional Director, Jenai Cox.
Mark said the credibility of the 2027 elections must be non-negotiable, insisting that the electoral process should be transparent, inclusive, peaceful and free from manipulation, intimidation and the abuse of state institutions.
“We are deeply concerned about the abuse of the electoral process by governments in power and, increasingly, by non-state actors,” he said.
He condemned the violence and intimidation witnessed during the recently concluded Osun State governorship election, in which, he said, no fewer than 30 people reportedly lost their lives.
According to him, elections should not be treated as war or a do-or-die affair, but as a democratic process through which citizens freely choose their leaders and advance their aspirations for development and a better quality of life.
“Elections should not be treated as war or a do-or-die affair.
They should be a democratic process through which citizens freely choose their leaders and advance their aspirations for development and a better quality of life,” Mark said.
He said the ADC wanted to contest elections in a secure environment that guarantees free, fair, transparent and credible polls, where every vote counts and every legitimate mandate is respected.
“As a political party, we want to contest elections in a secure environment that guarantees free, fair, transparent and credible elections, where every vote counts and every legitimate mandate is respected,” he said.
Mark welcomed IRI’s Pre-Election Assessment Mission to Nigeria, describing its engagement with political parties, civil society organisations and other stakeholders as important to preparations for the 2027 elections.
He said the ADC was prepared to share its experiences and concerns openly with the delegation, adding that an independent and credible assessment by organisations such as IRI could help identify challenges ahead and strengthen confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.
Mark also commended IRI for its continued commitment to strengthening democracy, credible elections and good governance in Nigeria since the country returned to democratic rule in 1999.
Earlier, Cox said the IRI delegation was in Nigeria to assess preparations for the 2027 general elections and engage key stakeholders on the state of the electoral process.
She said some members of the delegation had recently observed the Osun governorship election, while another delegation was in Ekiti for the state’s off-cycle election.
Cox said IRI had been observing elections in Nigeria since 1999, often jointly with the National Democratic Institute.
“Our pre-election assessment mission will end at the end of this week, where we will be making some recommendations forward on items we have seen from both off-cycle elections as well as our meetings here with a variety of stakeholders here in Abuja,” she said.
She thanked the ADC leadership for receiving the delegation and giving the institute an opportunity to hear the party’s views on preparations for the 2027 elections.
