Okonkwo Sounds Alarm: INEC’s 2027 Election Date Sparks National Disappointment

Veteran Nollywood actor and politician, Kenneth Okonkwo, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reconsider the schedule for the 2027 general elections.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Okonkwo expressed disappointment that the presidential, governorship, and other elections are not slated to take place on the same day. He argued that holding elections on two separate dates, just two weeks apart, would strain Nigeria’s limited financial resources due to the high cost of logistics.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) leader also highlighted potential security and economic challenges, warning that asking Nigerians to vote twice within a short period could discourage participation.

He called on INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, to consolidate all elections into a single day, emphasizing that this move could significantly reduce the “unacceptable” ₦873 billion election budget.

“I am very disappointed in INEC for not scheduling all elections on the same day. Nothing in the law forbids it. Paragraph 2 of its Regulations and Guidelines is a rule it made, which can be overridden when circumstances demand,” Okonkwo said.

“Nigeria does not have the financial capacity to manage the enormous logistics involved in conducting elections on two separate days within a fortnight. Security and economic difficulties would make it hard for citizens to return for a second round of voting. INEC should not add to the current challenges. Voter apathy will result if this is not addressed.”

Okonkwo continued: “Prof. Amupitan should immediately reschedule all elections to take place on a single day. Doing so would also cut the extravagant N873 billion budget nearly in half.”

The recommendation follows INEC’s release of the 2027 election timetable on Friday, February 13, which schedules the Presidential and National Assembly elections for February 20, 2027, and the Governorship and State Assembly polls for March 6, 2027.