The Presidential Campaign Council of the African Democratic Congress (ADC-PCC) has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against allowing partisan interests to influence the 2027 general elections.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by its Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, the council insisted that voter registration figures would have little meaning if eligible Nigerians are unable to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
The statement came in reaction to INEC’s World Press Conference on Tuesday. The ADC-PCC called on the commission to decentralise PVC collection to the ward level, extend collection hours and deploy technology to notify voters when their cards are ready for collection.Ologbondiyan said:
“Reading out figures of registration is nothing. What matters is the number of cards actually collected by Nigerians. What gives a citizen power on election day is not that his name is in a register somewhere, but that he has his PVC in his hand.”
He urged INEC to remain independent and not take orders from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). “INEC must remain an unbiased umpire and not operate as an extension of the ruling party,” he stated.
The council expressed concern over alleged bureaucratic bottlenecks and delays at PVC collection centres, particularly in opposition strongholds, warning that unequal access could disenfranchise voters and undermine confidence in the polls.
It said the ADC presidential candidate remained prepared to participate in the 2027 election provided the process was free, fair, credible and free from violence or manipulation.
The party pledged to demand strict compliance with the Constitution and the Electoral Act throughout the electoral cycle.