Ambassador Anderson Queries INEC’s Hasty Release of 2027 Election Timetable
By Esther Bello
As Nigeria prepares for another general election cycle, Ambassador Anderson Osiebe, Executive Director of the HallowMace Foundation Africa, has raised concerns over what he describes as the premature release of the 2027 General Election timetable by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
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Osiebe’s concerns come against the backdrop of the ongoing consideration of the 2026 Electoral Act Amendment Bill by the National Assembly, which is yet to be passed and assented to by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He argues that announcing an election timetable while the legal framework governing the process remains unsettled raises serious questions about institutional coordination, democratic intent, and public trust.
In a strongly worded intervention titled “2027 Elections: Why the Rush, INEC?”, the ambassador questioned whether the move reflects administrative foresight or institutional presumption.
“The Electoral Act is the backbone of Nigeria’s electoral process,” Osiebe noted. “If amendments that may affect technology deployment, result transmission, candidate qualification, and dispute resolution are still under debate, why publish a timetable that may ultimately depend on a law that is not yet in force?”
He outlined a number of questions now circulating in civic and political spaces: Is INEC signalling that it intends to proceed under the 2022 Electoral Act regardless of pending reforms? Does the early timetable reflect limited confidence in the amendment bill’s passage? Or is the Commission simply fulfilling a constitutional obligation to give early notice to political actors?
Osiebe acknowledged that, legally, INEC is empowered to operate under the existing law until any amendment is formally enacted. However, he warned that legality alone does not settle the matter.
“Releasing a fixed timetable before legislative reforms are concluded risks reducing flexibility, confusing stakeholders, and prematurely closing the door on meaningful policy debate,” he said.
While some analysts have defended INEC’s action on the grounds that electoral planning requires long lead times for logistics, procurement, training, and voter education, Osiebe insisted that perception is as important as procedure—particularly in a democracy still grappling with trust deficits.
“Nigeria’s democratic journey has been marked by intense debates over transparency and electronic transmission of results,” he said. “With amendments reportedly aimed at strengthening credibility, the sequencing of reforms and election scheduling matters. Acting ahead of legislative conclusion may unintentionally signal that 2027 will be conducted strictly under the old framework.”
For Osiebe, the issue extends beyond INEC alone and touches on the broader health of Nigeria’s democracy. He questioned whether electoral reforms should not be concluded well ahead of election cycles to avoid friction between institutions and uncertainty among citizens.
“At the heart of this issue is not bureaucracy, but credibility,” he stressed. “Nigerians deserve clear communication from INEC, transparency from lawmakers on the status of the amendment bill, and assurance from the executive on whether assent will be granted.”
He concluded by urging Nigerians to remain vigilant, noting that democratic accountability thrives on questions, not silence. “In matters of elections, timing is never neutral,” Osiebe said. “And in a democracy, asking questions is not an act of hostility—it is an act of responsibility.”
Ambassador Anderson Queries INEC’s Hasty Release of 2027 Election Timetable