INEC Timetable Unlawful, Unworkable — Olawepo-Hashim

Former presidential candidate Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim has renewed his criticism of the electoral timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), describing it as unlawful, unworkable, and insensitive to Nigeria’s political and religious realities.

Hashim said the current scheduling framework is creating avoidable tension within the political system and could destabilize party structures ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking on the development, he argued that the tight electoral calendar does not give political parties enough time to properly conduct internal primaries and other democratic processes.

According to him, the situation is already placing unnecessary pressure on parties and contributing to growing internal conflicts across the political landscape.

Hashim disclosed that he had earlier written an open letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, urging him to ensure that INEC strictly adheres to the provisions of the Electoral Act. He, however, noted that no response had been received.

The former presidential candidate further faulted INEC for scheduling politically intensive activities, including party primaries, around sensitive religious periods such as Hajj and Ileya (Eid al-Adha).

According to him, these periods already come with significant logistical and security demands, warning that combining them with political primaries could heighten tensions and trigger avoidable disruptions.

“Combining election primaries with periods like Hajj and Ileya, which already carry security and mobility challenges, is unreasonable,” he said.

Hashim added that party primaries themselves often generate political tension and security concerns, insisting that such activities require adequate spacing and proper planning.

He maintained that compressing religious and political schedules unnecessarily increases national risk and could undermine stability within political parties.

Hashim further argued that the Electoral Act already provides sufficient timelines for parties to conduct nominations without resorting to what he described as a “chaotic timetable.”

Citing Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, he stated that political parties are required to submit nominations no later than 120 days before elections, a provision he said effectively allows parties until mid-September to complete their nomination processes.

“Why adopt a chaotic timetable that circumvents the provisions of the Act?” he queried.

He warned that failure to review and adjust the timetable could deepen political tensions and erode public confidence in the electoral process ahead of the 2027 elections.