ABUJA — The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council has raised an alarm over an alleged plot by the Presidency to pressure the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) into postponing the January 16, 2027 presidential election, citing public health fears surrounding the recent Ebola outbreak.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, by the Director of Strategic Communication for the campaign council, Phrank Shaibu, the party claimed it received credible intelligence that INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, could be summoned to the Presidential Villa to alter the official election timetable with only 80 days left to the polls.
The opposition party warned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu against attempting to exploit public health concerns to extend his stay in office or evade an electoral assessment from the Nigerian electorate.
“We are raising the alarm before that meeting takes place. President Tinubu must abandon any such attempt. Professor Joash Amupitan must refuse any instruction to change the timetable and immediately make any such approach public,” Shaibu stated.
The council stressed that the choice of election date is a constitutional matter for the public interest and must not be altered behind closed doors.
“The election date belongs to Nigerians. It must not be rewritten behind closed doors at the Villa. Nigerians have endured three and a half years of soaring prices, shrinking incomes, and relentless hardship. They have the right to judge this government at the ballot box on 16 January,” the statement added.
While acknowledging the serious nature of the Ebola threat, the ADC insisted that health emergencies must not be weaponized for political maneuvers.
The party put domestic election observers, international monitors, and the leadership of INEC on notice, demanding that any legitimate operational adjustment must follow open, transparent procedures.
“The Council puts INEC, domestic observers, and international election monitors on notice: any proposal to change the timetable must be made openly, supported by published health evidence, and subjected to public scrutiny. The Presidency must not use a health emergency to escape an electoral verdict,” the council declared.
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