The Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Abdussamad Dasuki, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct the 2027 federal and state elections on the same day.
Dasuki made the proposal in Abuja while receiving members of the African Democratic Congress youth group who visited to congratulate him on his appointment as deputy minority leader.
He said holding the elections on one day would reduce the cost of conducting the polls and limit the disruption of economic and social activities that usually comes with separate election dates.
According to him, a single-day election would also reduce spending on temporary election workers, security personnel and other logistics because the resources would only be deployed once.
The lawmaker said the arrangement would be useful given the country’s financial challenges and the need to direct public funds towards other areas that affect citizens’ welfare.
Dasuki also linked his proposal to Nigeria’s security situation, noting that voters, political parties, electoral officials and security agencies would not have to make separate trips for federal and state elections.
Under the current arrangement, Nigerians involved in the elections may have to travel for the federal polls and return again for the state elections. Dasuki believes combining the exercises would reduce such movement.
He proposed that INEC hold the combined election in either January or February 2027, with voters expected to cast ballots for the presidential, Senate, House of Representatives, governorship and State House of Assembly contests.
Dasuki said INEC could manage the five ballot papers if proper planning and preparations were made before the election.
He also pointed out that the existence of eight states with off-cycle governorship elections would make the arrangement easier because voters in those states would have fewer ballot papers to handle.
Beyond the proposed election date, the lawmaker raised concerns about Section 63(2) of the Electoral Act 2026. He called for the provision to be removed because of the possibility that it could allow ballot papers without the prescribed official mark to be counted.
Dasuki said the provision could create room for the use of unauthorised ballot papers and make it harder to protect the integrity of the voting process.
He noted that while another part of the law states that ballot papers without the required official mark should not be counted, the subsequent provision allows such papers to be accepted if a returning officer is satisfied that they came from an authorised booklet supplied to the polling unit.
The deputy minority leader said the apparent gap in the law needs to be addressed before the 2027 election to prevent possible abuse.
He added that minority lawmakers were working towards ensuring that the provision is reviewed before Nigerians go to the polls.
Dasuki also welcomed the recent salary increase for members of the Armed Forces, describing it as a positive step towards improving the welfare of security personnel.