2027 Elections: Reps Give INEC Seven Legislative Days to Report on Readiness

The House of Representatives has directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to appear before its relevant committee within seven legislative days to explain its level of preparedness for the 2027 general elections.

The resolution followed a motion moved by Mansur Manu Soro and Abdussamad Dasuki, which highlighted operational difficulties facing the electoral body, particularly in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.

The lawmakers initially sought INEC’s appearance before the House. However, the motion was amended to require the commission to brief the relevant committee and present a comprehensive assessment of its preparations for the forthcoming elections.

The requested report is expected to address key areas, including voter registration, Permanent Voter Card (PVC) production and distribution, election logistics, technology deployment, recruitment and training of electoral personnel, security, risk assessment and funding.

The committee is also expected to receive information on budgetary provisions, funds already released, outstanding disbursements and how funding gaps could affect INEC’s readiness.

The House raised concerns over reports of challenges at voter registration centres nationwide, including insufficient registration equipment, limited staffing, network disruptions, long queues and increased demand from citizens seeking to register or update their records.

The lawmakers warned that such difficulties could prevent some eligible Nigerians from participating in the electoral process, especially first-time voters, people in rural communities, persons with disabilities, students and workers.

They cautioned that leaving the problems unresolved could erode public trust in elections and pose risks to the peaceful conduct of the 2027 polls.

According to the lawmakers, INEC’s ability to deliver credible, transparent and acceptable elections would depend on adequate preparations in voter education, logistics, technology, personnel training, security coordination and timely access to funds.

They further pointed to the recently concluded Ekiti State governorship election, noting that its conduct offered lessons in election administration, technology use, logistics and engagement with stakeholders that could be applied to preparations for the 2027 elections.

Although the motion recognised INEC’s efforts to improve the country’s electoral system, it called for continued parliamentary oversight to ensure that the commission and other relevant institutions were adequately prepared, sufficiently funded and accountable.

The lawmakers also underscored the need for early planning, including timely procurement of election materials, deployment of technology, recruitment and training of electoral officials, voter education and coordination with security agencies.

They said reviewing INEC’s readiness well ahead of the elections would help expose weaknesses and allow corrective measures to be implemented in time.

The motion concluded that addressing the identified operational and funding challenges was necessary to support free, fair, credible, inclusive and peaceful elections in 2027.

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