The African Democratic Congress has promised to abide by Nigeria’s electoral laws ahead of the 2027 general elections, while making it clear that it will oppose any attempt to manipulate the polls or deny the party a fair contest.
National Chairman of the party, Senator David Mark, stated this on Wednesday, October 7, in Abuja when he received members of the Governing Council of the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development at the ADC national headquarters.
The delegation was led by former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, who heads the council popularly known as the Council of the Wise.
The visit formed part of the Centre’s ongoing consultations with political parties and other stakeholders on preparations for the 2027 elections.
Ariwoola said the engagement was aimed at securing commitments from political parties and their candidates towards ensuring that the next elections were peaceful, free, fair and credible.
He also called on the ADC to ensure that its candidates and supporters complied with guidelines issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission and refrained from conduct that could trigger political violence.
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Mark, in his response, assured the delegation that the ADC would operate within the nation’s electoral framework and observe its own code of conduct. However, he said the party would not accept any attempt to manipulate the election or force it out of the contest.
“We hold ourselves to the highest standards of good conduct as a political party. We will play by the rules. But we will not accept rigging or allow ourselves to be rigged out.
“We are committed to playing politics in a manner that promotes public confidence in democracy,” he said.
The former Senate President further said the party would comply with INEC’s guidelines as well as the provisions of its Orange Book, which contains the party’s code of conduct and governance principles.
Mark has previously expressed concern over the possibility of state institutions being deployed to influence the outcome of the 2027 elections, stressing the need to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process.