The Independent National Electoral Commission may legally exclude the African Democratic Congress from the 2027 elections if it fails to meet requirements, and that outcome would not spell disaster, according to APC spokesman Seye Oladejo. Speaking in Lagos on Tuesday, Oladejo dismissed ADC's concerns over the derecognition of its leadership, stating that non-compliance with electoral rules carries consequences. "Heaven will not fall if the ADC or any other party fails to appear on the ballot as a result of its own non-compliance," he said. He emphasized that INEC operates within constitutional boundaries and that compliance with electoral laws is mandatory, not optional.
Oladejo referenced the APC's own experience of being barred from contesting elections in Zamfara and Rivers states during the 2019 polls due to internal party disputes and invalid primaries. He described the ADC's current challenges as self-inflicted, citing internal disarray and procedural lapses. "Their failure to demonstrate discipline, cohesion, and respect for due process raises serious doubts about their fitness for democratic engagement," Oladejo stated. He accused some ADC figures of having supported eras marked by arbitrariness, suggesting their current discomfort with institutional order stems from that background.
Seye Oladejo's pointed reference to the APC's past electoral exclusions reveals a political symmetry that undermines moral superiority. When a party that once faced INEC's axe now uses it to dismiss opponents, it signals that electoral rules are wielded as much for leverage as for integrity. For Nigerian voters, this normalizes instability as a permanent feature of party politics. The real cost is not in who appears on the ballot, but in how consistently parties avoid accountability.
