Democracy In Danger? Civil Group Raises Alarm Over 2027 Election Preparations

Civil society group YIAGA Africa has raised fresh concerns that Nigeria’s 2027 general elections risk being heavily compromised or even jeopardised if urgent steps are not taken.

Executive Director Samson Itodo sounded the alarm on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

Itodo noted that with the tenure of INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu ending after a decade in office, his exit could create a leadership vacuum at a critical time. He stressed that a new chairman may not have enough time to fully settle into the role and prepare adequately for the elections.

He further warned that several INEC commissioners are also scheduled to leave office just before the polls, a situation that could destabilise the commission’s capacity to deliver credible elections.

According to him, the 2027 polls risk becoming the most expensive in Nigeria’s history, with citizens’ trust in the process already at an all-time low.

“The 2027 elections could most likely be the most compromised, and perhaps the most expensive. If not managed with statesmanship, the entire process could be jeopardised,” Itodo cautioned.