Dasuki Advocates for Single-Day Polls in 2027 Elections

Abdussamad Dasuki, the Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, has called for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to amend the current staggered arrangement for the 2027 general elections and conduct both federal and state elections on a single day. He expressed concerns regarding Section 63 (2) of the Electoral Act, which could compromise election integrity by allowing unmarked ballot papers to be counted under certain conditions.

Dasuki stated that a single-day election would mitigate economic losses from disruptions caused by staggered elections and reduce financial burdens associated with conducting elections on separate days. He emphasized that this approach would simplify logistics for voters and reduce travel requirements, especially given Nigeria's security challenges.

Dasuki proposed that the combined elections occur in either January or February 2027, involving five ballot papers for presidential, senatorial, House of Representatives, governorship, and State House of Assembly elections. He asserted that INEC has the capacity to manage this efficiently if adequately prepared.