The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has requested an urgent review of the nation’s electoral laws as part of its efforts to conduct free and fair elections in 2027.

INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who made the call on Thursday when he hosted the European Union Follow-up Mission delegation, led by Barry Andrews, asked the National Assembly to review the existing Electoral Act.

He submitted that the operations of INEC are guided by legal frameworks, and the uncertainties regarding some existing laws may serve as a big encumbrance for INEC.

Prof. Yakubu, therefore, requested the quick legislative intervention of the National Assembly on proposed electoral reforms.

He said: “As you are aware, an election is a process governed by law. Many of your recommendations require the review of our electoral laws. For this reason, the Commission had interfaced with our National Assembly, including a retreat with the Joint Committee on Electoral Matters (Senate and House of Representatives).

“We appeal to the National Assembly for an expeditious consideration of the electoral reform proposal. An early passage of law is critical to our planning for the elections. Uncertainty over the legal framework for the election can unsettle the work of the Commission as election draws nearer.”

The INEC Chairman commended the EU for its engagement with the Commission aimed at promoting the integrity of the electoral process, and declared readiness to strengthen partnerships for the 2027 polls.

“We look forward to the next EU EOM for the 2027 General Election. As you are aware, International Election Observation Missions are deployed on the invitation of the Commission. I want to reassure you that we will continue to engage with you.

“Very soon, the Commission will send out invitations to the EU as well as the Commonwealth, the African Union, and ECOWAS for the 2027 General Election. We believe that the recommendations arising from your observation of our election and electoral process help to improve the quality of our elections and electoral activities.”

In his remarks, the Chief Observer of the European Union Election Observation Mission, Barry Andrews, who is also a member of the European Parliament, stated that the focus of his team is to verify the response to the recommendations made by the EU team that monitored the last general elections.

Andrews, who revealed that his team has been around in the last three weeks, commended INEC’s commitment to recommendations that would add value to the electoral process in Nigeria.

He said: “What we are here to do is to look at the recommendations that flowed from the overall mission, which were contained in the final report of the mission back in 2023, and we are very happy to see that there has been very significant progress against these recommendations. We recognise that there are certain time constraints, both in terms of judicial reform as well as administrative reform and, of course, constitutional reform.

“INEC has obviously carried out its own review of the 2023 elections, and we’ll be looking forward to hearing what you have to report on the recommendations and the follow-up and implementation of those recommendations since 2023.

“There are specific areas that require legislative action that I’ve referred to in my opening comments, and we would be delighted as a team to hear from you about what progress has been made and what concerns you have about obstacles in the future, and particularly around constitutional change, which is obviously a little bit more difficult.”