Political Parties Push for Single Day General Election, Want INEC to Conduct LG Polls

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The Inter Party Advisory Council, an umbrella body of all the political parties in Nigeria, yesterday, suggested holding all elections in one day, in line with global best practices.

The political parties also argued that holding the Presidential, Governorship, National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly elections on a single day, would reduce cost, enhance efficiency and reduce electoral crimes.

The proposal, was part of the presentation of the IPAC Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle, at a three-day retreat on amendments of the Electoral Act 2022, by the Joint National Committee on Electoral Matters in collaboration with the Policy And Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), in Abuja.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, Senator Sharafadeen Ali, his counterpart in the House of Representatives, Hon Adebayo Balogun and the Executive Director of PLAC, Clement Nwankwo, however, assured the participants that their proposal would form part of the Electoral Act review currently being worked on by the 10th National Assembly.

A former chairman of INEC,  Prof. Attahiru Jega, had shortly before the 2015 general election were held,  advocated that elections in the country should be held same day, saying that staggered elections were costly.

Jega also argued that holding elections same day was in line with global practices.

The former  INEC chairman cited Ghana, Sierra-Leone, the United States and Venezuela as countries that hold their elections in one day.

Presenting the resolution of IPAC on the occasion, Dantalle, said, “This memo therefore, conveys the position of all the Political Parties in Nigeria as the electoral law affects all evenly, without equivocation.

“In consideration of the aforesaid, the Inter-Party Advisory Council do hereby submit this proposal as its input and memorandum on the review and amendment of the Electoral Act 2022 for the benefit of all the citizens of Nigeria.

“First, holding of election in one day – Section 28: We propose an amendment to the Electoral Act that would require the conduct of all elections – Presidential, National Assembly, Governorship, and State House of Assembly on a single day.

“The current staggered system of elections is not cost effective, as the nation is almost always shut down for several days whenever elections are held. Furthermore, voter turnout usually declines after the first major poll in a staggered clection cycle.

“A single-day election would reduce costs, minimise disruptions to economic and academic activities, maintain voter enthusiasm throughout the process and address logistical challenges.”