Reps consider same-day elections for presidential, governorship, legislative offices

The house of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas says lawmakers are considering amending the constitution to allow all elections in Nigeria to be conducted on the same day.

At present, presidential and national assembly polls are held together, while governorship and state assembly elections are conducted separately. Abbas said merging them into a single-day exercise would boost voter turnout and strengthen the credibility of the process.

Speaking in Abuja while receiving a delegation from the European Union, Abbas explained that the proposal is part of wider electoral reforms under review. These include reserved seats for women and persons with disabilities, financial autonomy and defined roles for traditional rulers, and a streamlined electoral calendar.

“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,” he said. “In our own thinking, it will help to reduce our electoral process, particularly on the turnout of voters.”

He urged the EU to support advocacy and awareness efforts, noting that state assemblies must also approve the reforms before they can take effect.

“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,” he added.

The national assembly is expected to vote this month on a series of constitutional alteration bills. Past attempts to introduce same-day elections have repeatedly failed.

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