The House of Representatives has resolved to summon the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to brief lawmakers on its preparedness for the 2027 general elections, as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) raises the alarm over an alleged plot to postpone the presidential poll, while the Presidency has dismissed the claim as fake news.
The ADC Presidential Campaign Council alleged that there were plans to pressure INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, to change the election timetable because of the Ebola outbreak.
However, the Federal Government denied any plan to shift the election date, insisting that the allegation was unfounded.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the government was unaware of any move to postpone the poll.
“The Federal Government is not planning to shift the date of the election or postpone any election. This is not in the works; the Federal Government is unaware of this, and this is just fake news as far as we are concerned,” Idris said.
The ADC campaign council had earlier alleged that Amupitan could be summoned to the Presidential Villa and instructed to alter the timetable for the January 16, 2027 presidential election.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Phrank Shaibu, the council’s director of strategic communication, said the party had received information about the alleged plan but did not provide evidence to substantiate the claim.
Shaibu urged President Bola Tinubu to allow the election to proceed as scheduled, arguing that Nigerians should be able to assess his administration through the ballot box.
“Professor Joash Amupitan must refuse any instruction to change the timetable and immediately make any such approach public,” he said.
“The election date belongs to Nigerians. It must not be rewritten behind closed doors at the Villa.”
The ADC spokesperson said Nigerians had endured years of rising prices, shrinking incomes and economic hardship, adding that voters should be allowed to decide the administration’s fate at the polls.
“A government that has made life this difficult for Nigerians must not be allowed to postpone its day of judgment,” the statement added.
Although the campaign council acknowledged the seriousness of the Ebola outbreak, it warned against using the public health situation as a reason to delay the election.
It urged health authorities to intensify containment measures and called on INEC to put arrangements in place to protect voters and election workers.
The council also cited comments by Jide Idris, director-general of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), who said there was no current reason to postpone the 2027 elections because of the outbreak.
“As of now, there is no need for that. We in the health sector will not use disease issues as a political weapon,” Idris said on Monday
On Sunday, Adewole Adebayo, the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, also cautioned against postponing the election or cancelling political campaigns over Ebola.
Speaking at a dinner organised by the party’s presidential campaign council in Abuja, Adebayo argued that a single confirmed case was not enough to justify shutting down public activities.
The ADC campaign council called on INEC, domestic observers and international election monitors to scrutinise any proposal to change the election timetable.
It said any such proposal should be made publicly, supported by published health evidence and subjected to scrutiny.
At the time of the report, INEC had yet to respond to the allegation.
Separately, the House of Representatives has resolved to invite INEC to brief the relevant committee on its preparedness for the 2027 general elections.
The resolution followed a motion sponsored by Mansur Manu Soro and Abdussamad Dasuki, who raised concerns about operational challenges facing the electoral commission.
The motion was amended from a request for INEC to appear before the House to a directive that the commission brief the relevant committee on its preparations.
Under the resolution, INEC is expected to appear before the committee within seven legislative days and provide a detailed assessment of its readiness for the elections.
The lawmakers said the briefing should cover voter registration, the production and distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), election logistics, technology deployment, recruitment and training of personnel, electoral security, risk assessment and funding.
They also want the commission to provide details of its budgetary appropriations, funds released, outstanding releases and how any funding gaps could affect its preparations.
The lawmakers expressed concern over reports from Continuous Voter Registration centres across the country of inadequate registration equipment, limited personnel, network problems, long waiting times and increased demand from citizens seeking to register or update their records.
They warned that the challenges could prevent some eligible voters from participating in the electoral process, particularly first-time voters, rural residents, persons with disabilities, students and workers.
According to the lawmakers, failure to address the reported gaps could weaken public confidence in the process and pose challenges to the peaceful conduct of the elections.
They said the credibility and acceptability of the 2027 polls would depend partly on effective voter education, logistics, technology deployment, personnel training, security coordination and timely funding.
The House also noted that the recently concluded Ekiti State governorship election could provide lessons for INEC in election administration, logistics management, technology deployment and engagement with stakeholders ahead of the general elections.