The House of Representatives has directed the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, to brief its Committee on Electoral Matters on preparations for the 2027 general elections, with particular attention to insecurity, voter registration and the risk of disenfranchisement.

The development comes as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council alleges a plot to postpone the January 16, 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections, warning President Bola Tinubu against using concerns over Ebola to justify changing the electoral timetable.

INEC has scheduled the presidential and National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027, while governorship and state House of Assembly elections are slated for February 6.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) launched its nationwide campaign in Kaduna on October 24, while the ADC is scheduled to begin its campaign in Sokoto on October 31.

Amid concerns about an Ebola outbreak, the Federal Government, through the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, said there was no plan to suspend election campaigns because of the virus.

Reps Demand Detailed Report on INEC Preparations

The House issued the directive on Wednesday, giving Amupitan seven legislative days to appear before the Committee on Electoral Matters.

The committee is expected to assess INEC’s readiness in continuous voter registration, Permanent Voter Card production and distribution, election logistics, deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the INEC Result Viewing Portal, personnel training, electoral security and funding.

Lawmakers will also examine lessons from the recent governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by the Minority Whip, Mansur Soro, and the Deputy Minority Leader, Abdulsamad Dasuki, during plenary.

The House said the INEC chairman should provide a comprehensive report on voter registration, election technology, recruitment and training of electoral officials, and operational and security challenges that could affect the polls.

Lawmakers also want details of budgetary appropriations, funds released, outstanding releases and the implications of funding gaps for the implementation of the electoral timetable.

The motion initially sought Amupitan’s appearance before the entire House during plenary. However, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu opposed that proposal, arguing that the engagement should be handled by the committee constitutionally responsible for overseeing INEC.

Kalu said the proposed appearance before the full House could undermine the committee’s authority, adding that Amupitan had recently briefed the public on the commission’s preparations and challenges.

“While I agree such oversight should be carried out, I believe that the oversight should be by the committee of the House that has been given this responsibility to do so.

“Inviting the chairman of INEC to come and brief the House, when he just finished briefing the nation, is not ideal.

“Don’t we believe in our committees again? Our committees are there, charged with the responsibilities. The chairman and members of this committee are well-educated and well-informed to carry out their decisions,” he said.

Speaker Tajudeen Abbas clarified that the House supported inviting the INEC chairman but wanted the engagement to take place at committee level rather than during plenary.

“The committee should invite the chairman and should advertise the date of his appearance so that members who want to attend and ask questions can do so,” Abbas said.

Presenting the motion, Soro cited Sections 76, 116, 132 and 178 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, provisions of the Constitution’s Third Schedule and the Electoral Act 2026, which establish INEC’s responsibility for organising, conducting and supervising elections.

He said the credibility, transparency and acceptability of the 2027 elections would depend largely on the commission’s preparedness in voter registration, voter education, logistics, technology deployment, personnel training, security coordination and funding.

Soro also identified operational difficulties reported at Continuous Voter Registration centres, including inadequate equipment, insufficient personnel, network problems, prolonged waiting times and increasing demand from citizens seeking to register or update their details.

“These operational difficulties particularly affect first-time voters, rural citizens, individuals with disabilities, students, and workers, limiting their access to registration and threatening the participation of eligible voters in the electoral process without timely interventions,” he said.

Dasuki, in his contribution, said the motion was intended to address concerns about the ability of eligible voters in insecure areas to participate in the elections.

“This is the very first time we are going into an election with 11 months of security concerns,” he said.

He disclosed that lawmakers had sponsored about 255 motions relating to insecurity, arguing that the situation raised questions about whether residents of some constituencies and polling units would be able to vote.

He said INEC needed to explain how it would conduct elections in areas where insecurity could prevent voters from reaching polling units or disrupt electoral operations.

ADC Alleges Plot to Postpone January 2027 Election

Separately, the ADC Presidential Campaign Council alleged that there was a plan to postpone the January 16, 2027 presidential election and warned Tinubu against using the Ebola situation as a justification for changing the timetable.

The council claimed that Amupitan could be summoned to the Presidential Villa and pressured to shift the election date, but it did not provide evidence to substantiate the allegation.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by its Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the council said it was raising the alarm ahead of the alleged meeting and urged the INEC chairman to resist any attempt to alter the timetable.

“The election date belongs to Nigerians. It must not be rewritten behind closed doors at the Villa,” the council said.

It challenged Tinubu to seek another term through the ballot box rather than attempt to secure additional time in office through a postponement.

“If President Tinubu believes Nigerians want another four years of his government, he should face them at the ballot box, not seek more time through the back door,” the statement added.

The campaign council said Nigerians had endured three and a half years of rising prices, declining purchasing power and economic hardship, arguing that voters should be allowed to assess the administration’s performance at the polls as scheduled.

It maintained that changing the electoral timetable without compelling justification could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.

On the Ebola concerns, the council acknowledged the seriousness of the public health threat but cautioned against using it as a political reason to delay the election.

“Ebola is a serious public health concern. Health professionals must be free to contain it, and INEC must take every necessary step to protect voters and election workers,” it said.

The council also claimed that the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Jide Idris, had said there was no reason at present to postpone the election.

It urged INEC to take appropriate precautions to protect voters and election personnel while adhering to the published timetable.

The ADC further called on domestic election observers and international monitoring organisations to scrutinise any proposal to change the election date, insisting that such a decision must be supported by publicly available health evidence.

“The Presidency must not use a health emergency to escape an electoral verdict,” the council said.

The alleged postponement plot remains an accusation by the ADC campaign council. The statement provided no evidence establishing that the Presidency or INEC had agreed to change the election date.