Dasuki Advocates for One-Day 2027 Elections in Nigeria

Rep Abdussamad Dasuki, serving as the Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to hold the 2027 general elections on one day instead of the staggered arrangement currently planned. He expressed concerns regarding Section 63 (2) of the Electoral Act, which he believes could jeopardize the integrity of the elections by allowing unmarked ballot papers to be counted under specific conditions.

Dasuki articulated that a single election day would mitigate economic losses linked to the disruption of socio-economic activities and lessen the financial burden on the government by reducing expenses related to ad hoc personnel and logistics. He proposed that the elections be held in either January or February 2027, combining federal and state elections, which would involve five ballot papers.

Dasuki emphasized that INEC has the capacity to manage this efficiently, especially given that eight states will not have governorship elections during this cycle, simplifying the process further.