2027: How delay in legal reforms may affect preparation – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called on the National Assembly to accelerate amendments to Nigeria’s electoral legal framework, emphasizing that delays could undermine preparations for the 2027 general elections.

Chairman Mahmood Yakubu made the plea on Thursday during a courtesy meeting in Abuja with Barry Andrews, Head of the European Union (EU) election observation follow-up mission to Nigeria.

Yakubu stressed that early passage of necessary legislation is critical to ensuring the commission can operate effectively as election day approaches. “Uncertainty over the legal framework for the election can unsettle the work of the commission as election draws nearer,” he noted.

He further highlighted that INEC has reviewed the eight recommendations directed at it in the EU mission’s report on the 2023 elections. By comparison, the 2019 EU mission made 30 recommendations, 11 of which specifically targeted INEC, including three priority recommendations.

“The remaining 15 recommendations, five of which are priorities, require action by other institutions, including the executive, legislature, judiciary, political parties, and various stakeholders,” Yakubu said.

According to the INEC chairman, steps have already been taken to implement recommendations that only require administrative action. For cross-cutting recommendations necessitating joint action with other bodies, progress is ongoing while awaiting the conclusion of the legal review by the National Assembly.

Barry Andrews praised the progress made, noting, “We are very happy to see that there has been significant progress against these recommendations. We recognise, however, that there are certain time constraints, both in terms of judicial reform as well as administrative reform.”

The EU mission’s visit aimed to assess how far INEC has implemented the 2023 election recommendations, identify remaining concerns, and evaluate possible obstacles, particularly those related to constitutional reforms.