Nigerian Deputy Minority Leader urges single-day 2027 election and Electoral Act amendment
Abdussamad Dasuki, the Deputy Minority Leader of Nigeria's House of Representatives, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC to conduct the 2027 federal and state elections on a single day. He stated that a one-day election would reduce economic losses from disrupted socio-economic activities, lower government financial burdens by cutting expenses for electoral personnel and security, and decrease travel for participants, which is crucial given Nigeria's security challenges. Dasuki suggested combining the presidential, senatorial, House of Representatives, governorship, and State House of Assembly elections, noting that INEC could manage the five ballot papers with adequate preparation. He added that the eight existing off-cycle governorship elections would simplify the process further, as those states would only require four ballot papers. Additionally, Dasuki raised concerns about Section 63 2 of the Electoral Act, which allows ballot papers without the official INEC mark to be counted under certain conditions. He argued this provision could create a loophole for fake ballots and compromise election integrity, urging its expungement. He highlighted a contradiction between Section 63 1, which states unmarked ballots should not be counted, and Section 63 2, which permits counting if the returning officer is satisfied the ballot came from an official book. Dasuki assured that minority leaders are working to correct this before the 2027 elections.
