The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has uploaded the details of 28 of its 29 governorship candidates, as well as its State House of Assembly candidates, to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The development signals a major step in the party’s preparations for the 2027 elections, coming shortly after INEC extended the deadline for political parties to complete the submission of their governorship and State Assembly candidates.
The ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, disclosed that the party successfully completed the exercise within the extended deadline, with only its Enugu State governorship candidate left outstanding.
Abdullahi attributed the delay in the Enugu submission to an unresolved leadership dispute connected with the party’s governorship primary in the state.
He said the ADC remained committed to resolving the disagreement and completing the nomination process once the internal issue had been addressed.
ADC meets INEC candidate submission deadline
INEC had initially scheduled August 8, 2026, as the deadline for political parties to upload the names and particulars of their governorship and State House of Assembly candidates through the Candidate Nomination Portal.
The commission subsequently granted a three-day extension, moving the deadline to August 11, 2026.
The extension gave political parties additional time to conclude their submissions amid technical and organisational challenges encountered during the electronic nomination process.
Under INEC’s guidelines, parties are required to complete the prescribed nomination forms and upload candidates’ particulars through the commission’s designated Candidate Nomination Portal.
The ADC’s successful submission means that the party has now completed the nomination of virtually all its governorship and State Assembly candidates, with Enugu remaining the only outstanding governorship ticket.
ADC had earlier submitted presidential, National Assembly candidates
The latest submission followed the earlier completion of the ADC’s presidential and National Assembly candidate nominations.
The party had submitted its candidates within the separate nomination window provided by INEC for presidential and National Assembly contests.
That deadline was earlier extended from July 11 to July 14 following an appeal by the Inter-Party Advisory Council.
Abdullahi said the completion of the candidate-upload process demonstrated the ADC’s organisational preparedness for the 2027 general elections despite the internal challenge in Enugu State.
He described the development as an important milestone for the party as it moves closer to the election season.
Atiku, Amaechi sign accountability commitment
The candidate submission comes as the ADC continues to promote an accountability framework for candidates seeking elective positions under its platform.
The party’s presidential candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and his running mate, Rotimi Amaechi, have sworn an oath committing themselves to responsible governance, transparency and the proper management of public resources.
The ADC said the commitment would apply beyond its presidential ticket, with candidates elected under the party expected to accept similar obligations.
Abdullahi said every person elected on the ADC platform would be required to sign the accountability document and swear to an affidavit agreeing to be held responsible for complying with its provisions.
“All of them. Anybody elected on the platform of ADC will sign this document, and not only sign, but also swear to an affidavit to be held accountable to this document,” Abdullahi said.
ADC targets transparency in public office
The accountability undertaking is centred on principles such as honesty, transparency, accountability and the lawful use of public funds.
The party said the initiative is designed to ensure that individuals elected under its platform understand their obligations to the public and can be held accountable for their actions while in office.
The document also reportedly provides for sanctions where an elected or appointed official violates the code or abuses the public trust attached to the office.
Another major provision concerns politicians who leave the ADC after winning an election on its platform.
Under the proposed arrangement, any elected or appointed official who resigns from the ADC or defects to another political party would automatically forfeit the position obtained through the ADC platform.
Enugu Governorship ticket remains outstanding
Despite completing the upload of almost all its candidates, the unresolved Enugu governorship nomination remains a challenge for the ADC.
The party has yet to submit the details of its Enugu governorship candidate because of the leadership dispute surrounding the outcome of the primary process.
Abdullahi, however, maintained that the ADC was working towards resolving the matter.
The party’s immediate priority is therefore to settle the Enugu disagreement and ensure that the remaining governorship nomination can be processed in accordance with INEC requirements.
With 28 governorship candidates already uploaded and its State Assembly candidates submitted, the ADC has cleared a significant part of the administrative requirements for the 2027 elections.
The development also places the party in a stronger position to move from the candidate nomination phase to broader electoral preparations, including mobilisation, grassroots engagement and campaign activities.
As political parties continue to position themselves ahead of the 2027 general elections, the ADC is presenting its candidate-selection process and accountability pledge as evidence of its readiness to participate in the contest.
The resolution of the Enugu dispute will, however, remain crucial to the party’s efforts to achieve a fully concluded list of governorship candidates before the electoral process advances further.
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