The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to address challenges surrounding Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection ahead of the 2027 general elections, while warning against attempts to manipulate the electoral process.
The party’s National Chairman, Senator David Mark, said the ADC would operate within the law but would not accept efforts to rig it out of the elections.
Mark spoke on Wednesday when the Governing Council of the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development visited the ADC national headquarters in Abuja. The delegation was led by former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola.
The visit formed part of the centre’s engagement with political parties and other stakeholders ahead of the 2027 elections, with the aim of promoting peaceful, free and credible polls.
Mark said the ADC was committed to strengthening public confidence in democracy and would abide by INEC’s rules as well as its internal code of conduct, contained in its Orange Book.
He, however, drew a distinction between respecting electoral rules and accepting malpractice.
“We are committed to playing politics in a manner that promotes public confidence in democracy,” he said.
Ariwoola urged ADC leaders to ensure that party members and candidates comply with electoral regulations and avoid violence during the election period.
Separately, the ADC Presidential Campaign Council raised concerns over the ability of registered voters to obtain their PVCs.
The council’s Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, said voter registration figures would have little value if eligible voters were unable to collect the cards required to participate in the elections.
He called on INEC to remain neutral and transparent and urged the commission to ensure that its processes did not unfairly benefit any political party, including the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The council also alleged that delays and bureaucratic difficulties were affecting PVC collection in some areas it described as opposition strongholds.
Among its recommendations, the council asked INEC to move PVC collection to ward level, extend collection hours and deploy technology to notify voters when their cards are ready.
Ologbondiyan said the ADC-PCC would continue monitoring INEC’s activities and urged first-time voters and other eligible Nigerians not to abandon the electoral process because of administrative difficulties.
The council said it remained committed to an election in which eligible voters could participate and votes cast would be counted.
