Members of the Nigeria Civil Society Coalition have raised concerns over the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s timetable for the 2027 general elections, describing it as overly compressed and unsuitable for ensuring credible electoral processes.
Their criticism coincided with the launch of a new digital monitoring tool, the Situation Room Election Accountability Tracker (SEAT), unveiled on Thursday in Abuja to enhance transparency before, during, and after elections.
Similarly, the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has expressed unease over what it described as growing tendencies among political parties to impose consensus candidates rather than conduct competitive primaries.
Speaking at the SEAT launch, Clement Nwankwo, a leading civil society figure and Executive Director of the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), questioned the short timeframe allocated for party primaries and candidate submissions ahead of the 2027 polls.
According to INEC’s revised timetable, party primaries—including resolution of disputes—are scheduled to run from April 23 to May 30, 2026. Political parties are also expected to submit their membership registers between April 1 and April 21, 2026, in compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
Nwankwo argued that the schedule places undue pressure on political parties and may compromise internal democratic processes.
He further criticised the rising trend of “unity lists” and consensus arrangements, which he said undermine democratic choice within parties.
“The beauty of democracy is choice. Where candidates are imposed under the guise of unity lists, it defeats the essence of democracy,” he said, warning that the current timeline could force parties into undemocratic shortcuts.
He also referenced constitutional provisions on election timelines, arguing that the INEC schedule appears unnecessarily rushed.
IPAC, represented by Dipo Olayokun, echoed similar concerns, noting that emerging political practices could weaken internal party democracy and reduce the competitiveness of primaries ahead of the 2027 elections.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Agianpe Onyema, who explained the SEAT platform, said the tool was designed to make election monitoring more accessible and citizen-driven.
She added that the Situation Room would use the upcoming Osun State governorship election as a test case to demonstrate the effectiveness of the new digital accountability system, which will publish real-time updates and analysis on electoral activities for the public and political stakeholders.
