The Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abdussamad Dasuki, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct all federal and state elections on the same day during the 2027 General Election, arguing that the current staggered election schedule is expensive, inefficient and places unnecessary burdens on Nigerians.

Dasuki made the call at the weekend while receiving members of the youth wing of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), who paid him a congratulatory visit following his emergence as the Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.

Iran Demands US Compensation To Reopen Strait Of Hormuz

The lawmaker said conducting the presidential, National Assembly, governorship and State House of Assembly elections on a single day would significantly reduce the enormous financial cost associated with organising elections over two separate weekends.

According to him, the country would save billions of naira currently spent on logistics, election materials, security deployments, transportation and allowances for ad hoc staff, while the funds could instead be channelled into projects that directly improve the welfare of Nigerians.

Dasuki noted that the proposal had become even more necessary in view of the nation’s current economic realities and budgetary constraints.

He also argued that a one-day election would reduce the stress and security risks associated with repeated travel by voters, electoral officials, political party agents and observers across different parts of the country.

“Under the current arrangement, voters and election participants are forced to make two separate long-distance trips, one in January for federal elections and another in February for state elections,” Dasuki said.

“Considering the security situation in Nigeria, participants should not be required to make two separate journeys for elections when the process can be efficiently organised to take place on one day.”

The federal lawmaker expressed confidence that INEC possesses the technical and operational capacity to successfully conduct all elections simultaneously if adequate planning begins early.

He explained that voters in most states would cast five ballot papers covering the presidential, senatorial, House of Representatives, governorship and State House of Assembly elections, while voters in the eight off-cycle governorship states would only vote with four ballot papers, making the process less cumbersome.

Dasuki Raises Concern Over Electoral Act Provision

Beyond his proposal for a single election day, Dasuki also expressed concern over Section 63(2) of the Electoral Act, warning that the provision could compromise the credibility of the 2027 general election if left unamended.

He pointed to what he described as a contradiction between Section 63(1) and Section 63(2) of the Electoral Act.

According to him, while Section 63(1) clearly provides that “a ballot paper which does not bear the official mark prescribed by the commission shall not be counted,” Section 63(2) allows a Returning Officer to count an unmarked ballot paper if satisfied that it originated from an official ballot booklet assigned to a polling unit.

Dasuki argued that granting such discretionary powers to electoral officials creates a loophole that could be exploited to introduce counterfeit or unauthorised ballot papers into the electoral process.

“Permitting ballot papers without the prescribed official mark to be counted could expose the electoral process to abuse and make it difficult to distinguish genuine ballot papers from counterfeit ones,” he warned.

He disclosed that opposition lawmakers in the National Assembly were already working towards amending the contentious provision before the 2027 general election to strengthen the integrity and transparency of Nigeria’s electoral process.

Calls for Improved Military Welfare

Speaking further, Dasuki commended the Federal Government for approving a recent salary increase for personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces, describing the decision as a positive step toward improving the welfare of military officers.

However, he maintained that more should be done to improve the living conditions of service personnel, particularly in the area of decent accommodation for officers and their families.

The lawmaker renewed his earlier proposal that properties forfeited to the Federal Government through anti-corruption agencies should be allocated to the military for use as barracks, operational bases and other welfare facilities.

According to him, improving the welfare and morale of military personnel remains critical to strengthening Nigeria’s fight against insecurity and enhancing the operational effectiveness of the Armed Forces.