The House of Representatives has revived debate on electoral reform with a proposal that all major elections be conducted on the same day.
Speaker Tajudeen Abbas told a visiting delegation from the European Union in Abuja that lawmakers believe a unified election day for presidential, governorship, National Assembly and State Assembly contests would strengthen credibility and reduce the huge cost of conducting elections in stages.
According to him, “Like the single-day election, it is to hold the election of the president, national assembly membership, governorship, and state house of assembly membership elections on the same day. In our own thinking, it will help to reduce our electoral process, particularly on the turnout of voters.”
Supporters of the plan argue that it could help reduce political tension, improve voter participation, and ease the heavy logistical and security burden that usually comes with Nigeria’s staggered polls.
Abbas explained that the single-day election idea forms part of a wider constitutional reform package before the National Assembly. The proposals include reserved seats for women and persons with disabilities, financial autonomy for traditional rulers, and clearer roles for local governance.
“We will do all the needful as far as legislation is concerned to enable INEC to have all the necessary tools and provisions to make the 2027 election much better than the 2023 election,” the Speaker said. He also appealed to the EU to back the process with advocacy and publicity, noting that state assemblies must give their approval for the reforms to stand.
The Explainer gathered that similar efforts in previous assemblies collapsed at the stage of constitutional amendment, as state lawmakers declined to adopt the single-day election model. With the current review of the 1999 Constitution expected to reach a decisive vote this month, the coming weeks may determine whether the proposal survives this time.
If passed, Nigeria would join a growing list of countries that conduct general elections in a single day a system often credited with reducing costs and increasing transparency.
