The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said the recent adjustment to the 2027 general election timetable poses fresh operational challenges for the commission, following the reduction of the notice period for elections from 360 days to 300 days.
Naija News reports that INEC National Commissioner, Malam Mohammed Haruna, disclosed this during an interaction with Daily Trust, where he expressed concern that the amendment would shrink the commission’s preparation window.
The Senate had amended the Electoral Act to reduce the mandatory notice period for elections from 360 days to 300 days to avoid a clash with the Ramadan fasting period.
The development effectively paved the way for adjustments to the 2027 general election timetable.
However, Haruna warned that the decision would make preparations more demanding for the electoral umpire.
He noted that one of the landmark achievements of the commission under the leadership of the former INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, was securing a 360-day preparation window before elections.
‘We Printed All Ballots In Nigeria’
Haruna stressed that the longer preparation period had enabled INEC to improve its logistics and reduce dependence on foreign printing firms.
“For the first time, at least since 1999, we were able to print all the ballot papers we needed, all the resources we needed inside. Within Nigeria. Not outside,” he said.
He added, “This is a big advantage that we are now throwing away.”
According to him, compressing the timeline may affect planning, procurement and other critical pre-election activities that require adequate lead time.
The National Commissioner also raised concerns about provisions in the 2026 Electoral Act limiting political parties to two methods of nominating candidates, consensus and direct primaries.
Haruna expressed reservations about the consensus option, arguing that it could shield internal arrangements from public scrutiny.
“With consensus, a lot of things could be going on under the table that the commission may not know about,” he said, adding that INEC can only work with processes that are transparent and formally communicated to it.
He implied that such limitations may reduce the commission’s oversight capacity over internal party democracy.
Speaking on the low voter turnout recorded during the last FCT elections, Haruna said INEC had fulfilled its responsibilities but often takes the blame for poor participation.
He explained that while the commission is responsible for civic education and informing citizens about voting procedures, the responsibility for mobilising voters lies primarily with political parties.
“They have members. At least when they give us a list of their members, there are hundreds, if not millions. So they are the ones – we can’t tell people, go out and vote for X, Y, Z,” he said.
“And the bit that we will do, of course, we can do a bit more.”
Amupitan Deserves Benefit Of Doubt – Haruna
On calls for the removal of the current INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, over his past position on alleged Christian genocide, Haruna said what should matter most is the future and the chairman’s conduct in office.
“We all have our biases. We all have our prejudices. The important thing is, do you allow it to get in the way of your being objective in your current assignment? It’s something that, you know, we’ll have to give him the benefit of the doubt,” he stated.
Haruna noted that the appointment of the INEC chairman is the prerogative of the President, subject to Senate confirmation, and that due process had been followed.
“Since it’s the prerogative of the President and of the senators to confirm such an appointment, and they’ve gone ahead in their own wisdom to do that, and going by the elections that Amupitan has conducted and the meetings we’ve had so far, I’m inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt,” he added.
The commissioner, however, maintained that while reforms are inevitable, adequate planning time remains critical to the successful conduct of elections, particularly as preparations for the 2027 general elections gradually gather momentum.
