2027: Reps to grill INEC Chairman over election preparedness

The House of Representatives on Wednesday resolved to invite the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to appear before its Committee on Electoral Matters to explain the Commission’s level of preparedness for the 2027 general elections.

The resolution followed a heated debate on a motion jointly sponsored by the Minority Whip, Hon Mansur Manu Soro, and Hon Abdussamad Dasuki, seeking a comprehensive assessment of INEC’s readiness to conduct credible, transparent and acceptable elections.

The House noted that Sections 76, 116, 132 and 178 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), alongside Part I of the Third Schedule to the Constitution and the Electoral Act, 2022, mandate INEC to organise, undertake and supervise elections into elective offices in Nigeria.

In his lead debate, Hon Soro stressed that the credibility and acceptability of the 2027 general elections would depend largely on the Commission’s preparedness in voter registration and education, logistics, technology deployment, personnel training, security coordination, funding and timely implementation of the election timetable.

The lawmakers also observed that the recently concluded Ekiti State governorship election had provided valuable lessons on election administration, technological deployment, logistics management, stakeholder engagement, security and voter participation, which should inform preparations for the forthcoming general elections.

However, the motion generated debate over the appropriate legislative channel for engaging the INEC Chairman, with Deputy Speaker, Hon Benjamin Kalu, opposing the proposal to invite him to address the entire House during plenary.

Hon Kalu acknowledged Parliament’s responsibility to remain vigilant on topical national issues, particularly during the election season, but argued that the legislature must also protect public confidence in democratic institutions and strengthen the country’s democratic process.

He said: “The fulcrum of our democracy, which is the Parliament, has a core duty, which is to strengthen the belief in our democracy, which is to ensure that the advancement of our democracy is ensured.”

The Deputy Speaker, who described the motion as well-written, however, maintained that INEC had already addressed some of the concerns raised by the lawmakers during a recent public presentation by its Chairman.

“It appears that the presentation made by the chairman of INEC not too long ago to the public addressing some of these concerns, some of these possible questions, were not listened to by my honourable colleague,” Hon Kalu said.

He added that the Commission had not complained about logistics, had commenced recruitment on time and was not expressing concerns over the deployment of technology.

The Deputy Speaker consequently proposed an amendment directing the INEC Chairman to appear before the House Committee on Electoral Matters rather than address the entire chamber, arguing that the committee was constitutionally empowered to conduct the necessary oversight.

Supporting the proposed amendment, Deputy Minority Whip, Hon Abdussamad Dasuki, said the intention of the sponsors was to establish INEC’s level of preparedness and address concerns over the security situation ahead of the 2027 elections.

He argued that the forthcoming polls would take place under exceptional security circumstances, noting that Nigeria was experiencing a security emergency that could affect the participation of some communities and polling units.

“On this floor, Mr Speaker, we have had unprecedented 255 security-related motions that are captured here, and we believe there are a lot of constituencies, a lot of polling units that will not be able to participate in the election,” Hon Dasuki said.

He maintained that the lawmakers wanted INEC to explain how it intended to address such challenges, insisting that the legislature was seeking answers to help ensure an inclusive electoral process.

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However, Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, who presided over the session, cautioned against turning the debate into a public contest, insisting that the relevant committee should provide an appropriate platform for members to question the INEC Chairman.

Hon Tajudeen said the committee should publicise the date of the meeting to enable interested lawmakers to attend, listen to the Commission’s explanations and ask questions on issues of concern.

He also rejected the suggestion that the number of security-related motions before the current Assembly necessarily established that insecurity had worsened compared with previous years, arguing that the figures could reflect increased responsiveness by lawmakers.

“We are all in agreement that the INEC Chairman should be invited by the committee to answer questions from the members,” the Speaker ruled.

The motion was subsequently referred to the House Committee on Electoral Matters for further legislative action, with the Committee expected to engage INEC on its preparedness for the 2027 general elections.