Abdussamad Dasuki urges single-day 2027 elections in Nigeria

Abdussamad Dasuki, the Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct the 2027 federal and state elections on a single day rather than using a staggered arrangement.

Dasuki argued that a unified election day would prevent significant economic losses caused by the disruption of socio-economic activities. He also noted that a single-day poll would reduce the financial burden on the government regarding logistics, security, and allowances for ad hoc personnel. Furthermore, he suggested that combining the elections would minimize travel requirements for citizens and election officials, which is particularly important given current security challenges.

Additionally, Dasuki raised concerns regarding Section 63 (2) of the Electoral Act. He warned that this specific provision could compromise election integrity by potentially allowing ballot papers without the official electoral commission mark to be counted under certain circumstances.