Precious Nwonu, Enugu

The House of Representatives has directed the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, to brief its Committee on Electoral Matters on preparations for the 2027 general elections, amid concerns over insecurity, voter registration and the possibility of disenfranchisement.

The development comes as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council alleges a plot to postpone the presidential election scheduled for January 16, 2027, warning President Bola Tinubu against using the Ebola outbreak as a reason to change the electoral timetable.

INEC has scheduled the presidential and National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027, while governorship and state House of Assembly elections are slated for February 6.

At Wednesday’s plenary, lawmakers asked Amupitan to appear before the committee within seven legislative days to provide a detailed update on the commission’s readiness for the polls.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by the House Minority Whip, Mansur Soro, and Deputy Minority Leader, Abdulsamad Dasuki.

The committee is expected to examine the progress of continuous voter registration, the production and distribution of Permanent Voter Cards, election logistics, the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the INEC Result Viewing Portal, as well as the training of electoral officials.

Lawmakers also want INEC to explain its security arrangements, funding requirements and the challenges that could affect the implementation of the election timetable. The committee will also review lessons from recent governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states.

Presenting the motion, Soro said the credibility and public acceptance of the 2027 elections would depend on adequate preparations in voter registration, public education, logistics, technology, security coordination and funding.

He also expressed concern over reported difficulties at voter registration centres, including inadequate equipment and personnel, network failures and long waiting times.

According to the lawmaker, these challenges could disproportionately affect first-time voters, rural residents, students, workers and persons with disabilities if urgent measures were not taken.

Dasuki said persistent insecurity posed another threat to electoral participation, questioning how eligible voters in affected communities would access polling units and exercise their rights.

He disclosed that lawmakers had sponsored about 255 motions on insecurity, arguing that the situation required INEC to explain how it would conduct elections in areas facing security challenges.

The motion initially proposed that the INEC chairman address the entire House. However, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu argued that the responsibility should be handled by the Committee on Electoral Matters.

Kalu said the committee was constitutionally responsible for overseeing the commission and was capable of conducting the necessary scrutiny.

Speaker Tajudeen Abbas subsequently clarified that lawmakers supported the engagement but wanted it conducted at committee level. He directed the committee to publicise the date of the meeting to allow interested lawmakers to participate.

Meanwhile, the ADC Presidential Campaign Council has alleged that there is a plan to postpone the January 16 presidential election, claiming that Amupitan could be summoned to the Presidential Villa and pressured to change the date. The council did not provide evidence to substantiate the allegation.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by its Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the council urged the INEC chairman to resist any pressure to alter the timetable.

The opposition group maintained that the election date should not be changed through private arrangements and challenged Tinubu to seek another term through the ballot box.

The council said Nigerians should be allowed to assess the administration’s performance at the polls, citing economic hardship, rising prices and declining purchasing power.

Although it acknowledged the seriousness of the Ebola threat, the ADC campaign council argued that public health concerns should be addressed through appropriate safety measures rather than used as a political justification for postponing the election.

It urged INEC to protect voters and election workers while maintaining the published timetable. It also called on domestic and international election observers to scrutinise any proposal to change the dates.

The Federal Government, through the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, has said there is no plan to suspend election campaigns because of the Ebola incident.

The All Progressives Congress began its nationwide campaign in Kaduna on October 24, while the ADC is scheduled to commence its campaign in Sokoto on October 31.

The House committee’s engagement with INEC is expected to provide lawmakers with a clearer picture of the commission’s preparations and the challenges that could affect the conduct of the 2027 elections.