The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has firmly opposed a fresh proposal to amend Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution to allow for all general elections, presidential, governorship, National Assembly, and state assembly to be conducted on the same day starting in 2027.
This position sets the APC at odds with major opposition parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), and New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), which have thrown their weight behind the proposed electoral overhaul.
The initiative, spearheaded by the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review and chaired by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, is one of several key amendments under consideration following extensive consultations across Nigeria’s six geo-political zones.
Supporters of the reform argue that a single-day election would significantly reduce the cost of elections, limit logistical challenges, and curb the post-election “bandwagon” effect where outcomes of early polls influence later contests.
However, the APC’s Deputy National Organising Secretary, Nze Chidi Duru, warned of what he called “dire consequences,” stressing that holding all elections on the same day would overload the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“To hold all elections on the same day puts a lot of pressure on the institution that is governing elections in Nigeria,” Duru said. “You’re going to be holding elections at the state assembly, House of Reps, Senate, governors, and the presidency, all at once. After those four years, INEC now sits back and literally does nothing.”
Duru also argued that staggered elections ensure better electoral focus, reduce the strain on security agencies, and allow INEC to learn and adjust between phases of elections.
