Political tensions ahead of the 2027 general election intensified yesterday as opposition parties, political groups and the Federal Government traded accusations over the Electoral Act, the conduct of future polls and the zoning of the presidency.

The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) warned that political parties could boycott the 2027 elections if contentious provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 are not amended, while the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) also faulted aspects of the law it said undermine party autonomy.

At the same time, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) intensified its criticism of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over economic management and the conduct of the electoral process, even as Vice President Kashim Shettima dismissed the opposition as peddlers of misinformation.

Adding a regional dimension to the emerging political contest, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation Afenifere reaffirmed its support for the rotational presidency principle, insisting that the presidency should remain in the South in the 2027 election.

The developments come amid mounting disagreements over provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, including mandatory electronic registration of party members, eligibility requirements for primaries and the timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the next general election.

IPAC called for the urgent restoration of indirect primaries in Nigeria’s political system, insisting that political parties must retain the constitutional right to determine how they select their candidates.

The council also raised concerns over provisions of the recently passed Electoral Act 2026, warning that failure to address the issues could lead to a boycott of the general elections.

IPAC National Chairman, Dr Yusuf Dantalle, disclosed this in Abuja during a press briefing. He said that while the Electoral Act 2026 sought to address anomalies in the 2022 Act, some provisions had inadvertently undermined party development and multiparty democracy.

He said the council would draw the attention of Nigerians and the international community, including the United Nations, European Union, Economic Community of West African States and diplomatic missions in Nigeria, to the concerns.

Dantalle said: “Indirect primaries must be restored as it remains the prerogative of political parties to determine the method of selecting their candidates.

“The requirement that members of political parties must possess and upload their National Identification Number (NIN) should be expunged.

“This provision will disenfranchise a significant number of Nigerians who do not have access to NIN and constitutes a violation of their rights under Article 13 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

“Expungement of Section 77 (4, 5, 6 & 7), these provisions should be removed as they infringe upon the constitutional right of citizens to freedom of association.

“The electronic transmission of election results after announcement at polling units must be restored. Its absence was a major flaw during the 2023 presidential election, and such a lapse must not be allowed to undermine future elections, including the 2027 general elections.

“Vote buying remains one of the major electoral malpractices undermining the integrity of elections. IPAC observes that penalties under the new Electoral Act have been weakened. The council therefore recommends stricter penalties to serve as an effective deterrent.”

Dantalle warned that if the National Assembly fails to amend the Act to address the concerns, political parties under IPAC may refuse to participate in the 2027 elections, declaring any outcomes “illegitimate and unrecognised”.

He added, “The foundation of democracy lies in electing individuals of integrity, credibility, and sound qualifications into public office. IPAC is deeply concerned that the new Electoral Act removes the presentation of forged certificates as grounds for election petitions, thereby creating an avenue for individuals with questionable credentials to occupy public office.

“This development runs contrary to the aspirations of Nigerians for credible leadership and damages the image of the country. Furthermore, the provision conflicts with constitutional provisions that disqualify such persons from holding elective office. The National Assembly must therefore align the Electoral Act with the Constitution to avoid unnecessary judicial burdens on such matters.”

RELATEDLY, National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Sly Ezeokenwa, urged members of the National Assembly to expunge Section 77 of the new Electoral Act, saying the provision violates party autonomy and threatens internal democracy.

Addressing journalists in Lagos yesterday, Ezeokenwa questioned why the law imposed conditions on how political parties manage their internal affairs.

He said, “Why will the Electoral Act give us conditions? It should be our internal affairs to determine what runs in our party or not.

“Why must you be saying someone must be our member for at least 22 days? I have problems when the Act stipulates conditions of membership.”

The APGA chairman, however, welcomed the introduction of direct primaries in the Act.

He also advised the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Josiah Amupitan, to conduct credible elections and build on the achievements of his predecessor.

Ezeokenwa described the 2023 general elections as the best conducted in the country, noting that they produced many fresh politicians now occupying public offices.

He also urged Nigerians to join APGA, adding that the party aligns with the ideologies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

According to him, contrary to some opinions, Tinubu has not stifled APGA but has allowed fair play in the political space.

ADC accuses Tinubu administration of budget mismanagement, incompetence
THIS came as the ADC accused the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of mismanaging national budgets and running multiple fiscal plans simultaneously without effective implementation.

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said recent reports point to what it described as “utter confusion and a historic level of incompetence” in the government’s handling of budgets since 2024.

The party said: “The ADC has noted recent reports that signify utter confusion and a historic level of incompetence in the Tinubu administration’s implementation of national budgets since 2024. This is the first time in Nigerian history that any government would be running three budgets at the same time while implementing none.

“Available reports indicate that while the 2024 budget was rolled over to 2025, as at the third quarter of 2025, only 17.7 per cent of the capital budget had been released, while overall implementation hovered at less than 30 per cent, even as internal disbursements continued to lag.

“The government has argued that this absurdity is a ‘deliberate strategy’ and ‘transition cost’ to ensure that multi-year capital projects are completed. This is a blatant falsehood that cannot hold up to any scrutiny.”

The party further alleged that about 30 per cent of the 2025 budget would run from February 2026 to November 30, 2026, while the remaining 70 per cent would be rolled over to the 2026 budget, which it said was still being debated by the National Assembly of Nigeria three months into the year.

ADC said this development contradicts a pledge by Tinubu that all capital components of the 2024 and 2025 budgets would be concluded by March 31, 2026.

According to the party, capital budget implementation for the Ministry of Power stands at 3.6 per cent, Communications Technology at 8.9 per cent, while Education and Health stand at 23.5 per cent and 32.5 per cent respectively.

It said: “Certainly, no serious government would leave these sectors, which are crucial to national human capital development, largely unfunded while select government officials continue to live in obscene opulence in the midst of unprecedented poverty and human misery.”

The party also noted that the only ministry it said had exceeded its budget performance was the Ministry of Defence, which it said had reached 113.45 per cent largely through emergency funding from the Service-Wide Vote.

According to the ADC, insecurity has continued to worsen despite the increased spending, adding that reports indicate that during Ramadan alone, about 500 Nigerians may have been killed by terrorists in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and Kebbi states.

The party said the government has continued to boast of record revenue collection and increased foreign reserves despite what it described as aggressive borrowing.

“Yet, budgets remain unimplemented and contractors remain unpaid,” the statement said.

“This is the reason Nigerians are suffering like never before and asking the most important questions: what is this government doing with all the money that accrues from all the loans, all the revenues, and all the increased taxes? Why are we worse off today than we were three years ago?

“Since this government came on board, analysts have identified at least seven appointments and several policy decisions that the government has announced and reversed either almost immediately or after public uproar. This is what happens when a government is distracted.”

The ADC alleged that the Tinubu administration is more focused on politics than governance.

“The Tinubu government has proven that to them, everything is about politics and power for its own sake. This is why Nigerians are being slaughtered at an industrial scale across the country while the government feasts,” the party said.

It added that despite government claims of economic progress, Nigeria still has one of the highest numbers of people living in extreme poverty globally.

“Yet what we see is a government that continues to gloat over its ‘victory’ in the FCT election and obsess over ADC online membership registration,” the statement added.

Shettima mocks ADC over fake entries on membership portal
HOWEVER, Vice President Kashim Shettima has mocked the ADC over its online membership registration, saying the exercise had been inundated with fake identities.

He also taunted the opposition party over its longstanding demand for real-time electronic transmission of election results.

ADC had, on March 1, commenced online membership registration nationwide ahead of the 2027 general election, in compliance with the amended Electoral Act.

The party also instructed existing members to update and revalidate their details in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 and the guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission.

However, the registration exercise has been marred by several incorrect details, including fake names, National Identification Numbers and mismatched photographs, raising concerns about the integrity of the process.

In a statement on Tuesday, the party said it had corrected observed anomalies on its digital membership registration platform following widespread reports of fake entries.

Speaking on Wednesday during an interfaith breaking of fast attended by federal ministers and hosted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Shettima said the party’s registration portal had been overwhelmed by fictitious entries.

“The same Alliance for Democratic Confusion that was adamant that we must have electronic transmission of votes opened their portal for membership registration, and it was overwhelmed by an avalanche of fake names and fictitious identities,” he said.

The vice president accused the opposition of peddling falsehoods and spreading misinformation about the policies of the Tinubu administration.

“You and I know that, as Winston Churchill once said, ‘truth is so precious that it must be surrounded by a bodyguard of lies’. Lies, lies, lies — that is what is driving the opposition in this country,” he said.

Shettima also called on political officeholders to defend the policies and achievements of the current administration as the next election cycle approaches.

“Excellencies, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, the political season is around the corner. We are all political actors. We have to sell our government. We have to stand behind our administration,” he said.

The former governor of Borno State said the ruling party was now in a stronger position than it was during the 2023 general election.

“Politically speaking, we are in a more comfortable position now than in 2023,” he said.

Shettima also dismissed claims that state governors were being pressured to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“Nobody is coercing the governors of Rivers, Delta, Kano or any other state to join the APC. It is of their own volition because they have seen the light,” he added.

Afenifere reaffirms support for Southern rotational presidency
MEANWHILE, Afenifere has reaffirmed its commitment to the principle of rotational presidency between the North and the South, insisting that the arrangement remains critical to equity, stability and national cohesion.

In a communiqué issued at the end of its National Executive Committee meeting held in Lagos, the group maintained that despite its reservations about the performance of the current administration, the principle of power rotation must remain sacrosanct.

The communiqué, signed by Afenifere leader Oba Oladipo Olaitan and the National Publicity Secretary, Prince Justice Faloye, stressed that the group’s support for any presidential candidate in the 2027 general election would be anchored on adherence to the rotational principle.

“Even as Afenifere is not enamoured with the prebendary governance outcome of the Tinubu presidency, we hold as inviolable the practice of the rotation of the tenure of the presidency between the North and the South, anchored on the fervent desire for equity and stability of the Nigerian nation,” the communiqué stated.

It added that the organisation would continue to uphold the principle in determining which candidate would be considered eligible for its support ahead of the 2027 poll.

According to the group, the current political and economic realities in the country demand the emergence of a broad-based mass movement capable of driving progressive reforms and addressing the nation’s pressing challenges.

“In this connection, the need to identify a mass movement supporting and anchoring a progressive vehicle able to churn out policies to address economic and political challenges in the polity, and also adhere to the spirit of rotation of power, with a Southern candidate vying to emerge as a presidential candidate, is where we stand,” the statement added.

Afenifere further noted that such a candidate must be backed by a national movement that transcends party lines and prioritises the welfare of the Nigerian people.

“The individual who emerges will simply be the tool of a mass movement greater than any political party. The person must be able to carry the mantle of leadership that will immediately enable the devolution of power to the states, review economic policies in the direction of poverty alleviation, and usher in a fairer society,” it said.

The group also emphasised the need for far-reaching restructuring of Nigeria’s federal system, particularly through the devolution of powers, including the security architecture, to the federating units.

According to Afenifere, empowering states to play a greater role in addressing security challenges would significantly improve the country’s ability to tackle rising insecurity.

“Devolution of powers, including the decentralisation of the security architecture, will assist in addressing the challenges of insecurity in the land, with the federating units able to confront issues of insecurity as a first line of defence, while the Federal Government plays a complementary and supportive role when necessary,” the communiqué added.