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2027: INEC Boss, Yakubu, Raises Alarm
The European Union Election Observation Mission, EU EOM, has called for judicial and constitutional reforms in Nigeria, ahead of the 2027 general election.
Mr Barry Andrews, a member of the European Parliament, who also headed the EU Mission to the 2023 general elections, led the EU EOM delegation and spoke during a visit to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, headquarters in Abuja, yesterday.
This came as chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, also called on the National Assembly to expedite action on review and passage of electoral reforms, warning that uncertainty over the legal framework could disrupt preparations for the 2027 polls.
The EU EOM delegation visit marks a follow-up assessment on the implementation of recommendations made after Nigeria’s 2023 general election.
In his remarks, Andrews said the mission’s task is to assess the progress made in electoral reforms since the last general elections.
He commended INEC for its cooperation and dedication to strengthening democracy in Nigeria but said some challenges still remain.
“We have noted significant improvements in several areas, though some challenges remain, particularly those requiring judicial, and constitutional reforms which take more time,” he said.
“However, our recommendations are made in line with international standards, which Nigeria and many other countries have committed to. Election observation is part of a global effort to strengthen and support democracy, not only in Africa but also worldwide, including in Europe,” he said.
Receiving the Eu team, INEC Chairman,Yakubu said many of the EU’s recommendations require legislative amendments, making early action by the National Assembly crucial.
“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,” Yakubu said.
He noted that of the 23 recommendations made by the EU Election Observation Mission in 2023, only eight directly concern INEC, with one classified as priority.
The remaining 15, including five priority recommendations, fall under the responsibilities of the executive, legislature, judiciary, political parties, civil society groups, media, and professional bodies.
Yakubu said INEC has already taken administrative steps to implement its share of the recommendations and was working with relevant stakeholders on cross-cutting issues while awaiting legislative action.
He also disclosed that INEC’s post-election review of the 2023 polls produced 142 recommendations for electoral reform, complementing observer reports.
The INEC boss reassured the EU of Nigeria’s continued commitment to international election observation, announcing that invitations would soon be extended to the EU, Commonwealth, African Union, and ECOWAS for the 2027 polls.
“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,” he said.
Yakubu also commended the EU Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria, EU-SDGN, programme, pledging continued partnership to consolidate electoral integrity.
It will be recalled that many Nigerians have been calling for sweeping constitutional amendments and electoral reforms ahead of the 2027 general elections.
At the centre of the demand is INEC, which many say must be more independent, accountable, and equipped to manage elections transparently.
“We need to strengthen INEC’s autonomy,” said a coalition of civil society stakeholders in a recent Citizens’ Memorandum. They proposed changes to both the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022 to reduce political interference and legal ambiguities.
Among the reforms under discussion are electronic transmission of election results from polling units directly to a central repository, to reduce fraud associated with manual collation; empowering INEC with financial autonomy, giving it prosecutorial powers, and creating an Electoral Offences Tribunal or Commission to handle electoral malpractice; amending the appointment process for INEC leadership to include civil society participation and reduce executive influence.
They also include streamlining judicial adjudication of election disputes to ensure cases are resolved before new office holders are sworn in and making election materials and processes more inclusive, particularly for women, youth, and persons with disabilities.
At a recent Electoral Reform Summit held online, prominent figures such as Dr. Oby Ezekwesili and Peter Obi called for direct funding of INEC and for codified use of technology in the new Electoral Act.
Dr. Ezekwesili said: “We need technology. We must now require a code for the use of technology in the new Electoral Act.”
Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Busayo Oke, on his part urged INEC to de-register dormant political parties, averring that many exist only in name and later exploit the system through legal petitions.
The House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters, has also expressed concern about loopholes in the 2023 elections, despite reforms introduced in the Electoral Act 2022—like BVAS (Bimodal Voter Accreditation System), the IREV portal (INEC Result Viewing), and early funding provisions.
The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has announced Senator Ireti Heebah Kingibe as the party’s flag bearer for the Federal Capital Territory senatorial election ahead of the 2027 general polls.
Kingibe secured a landslide victory in the party’s primary election, polling 17,535 votes to defeat her sole challenger, Mubarak Tijjani, who garnered 806 votes.
Declaring the results at the ADC secretariat in Abuja, the chairman and returning officer for the senatorial and House of Representatives primaries, Abubakar Adamu, confirmed Kingibe as the winner of the exercise.
The primary election also produced candidates for the two House of Representatives seats in the FCT.
In the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency, Bala Iyah emerged victorious with 4,937 votes, defeating Yahaya Fatima Goya, who polled 2,015 votes, while Ma’aji Johnson Bello secured 1,546 votes. Ismaila Ishak Ozigi received 105 votes.
For the Abaji/Gwagwalada/Kwali/Kuje Federal Constituency, Alhassan Salihu clinched the party’s ticket with 9,016 votes, defeating Khalid A. Haruna, who polled 2,955 votes.
Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission monitored the conduct of the primaries.
Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State has expressed confidence that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will secure victory in the 2027 presidential election, stating that no opposition candidate, including former President Goodluck Jonathan, can prevent the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from retaining power.
Namadi made the remarks after casting his vote during the APC presidential primary election held at his polling unit in Kafin Hausa Local Government Area of Jigawa State.
The governor reiterated his commitment to delivering more than one million votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the next general election, saying the target was realistic given the widespread support the APC enjoys across Jigawa State.
He noted that the large turnout witnessed during the primary election demonstrated the confidence party members and residents have in both President Tinubu and the APC-led administration.
According to Namadi, the peaceful and transparent conduct of the exercise also reflected the President’s respect for democratic values and internal party democracy.
The governor further stated that the outcome of the APC primary election signalled what to expect in the 2027 polls, predicting an overwhelming victory for the ruling party nationwide.
Namadi described Jigawa as one of the APC’s strongest support bases, pointing out that the state ranks among those with the highest number of registered voters in the country.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a 63-year-old Chinese woman for allegedly attempting to smuggle a large consignment of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, into Nigeria.
The suspect, described as Ting Hung Kiong who naturalised in Malaysia, was arrested on Sunday, May 17, 2026, upon arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, from Thailand via Dubai on an Emirates Airline flight.
This was contained in a statement made available to the column.ng on (today) Sunday by NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi.
According to the agency, NDLEA operatives attached to the Terminal 2 Arrival Hall intercepted her after she was found to have two large travel boxes containing 31.0 kilograms of the illicit substance.
“During an interview, the 63-year-old suspect who claims she works as a caregiver in Malaysia stated that her daughter sponsored her trip from Malaysia to Thailand and subsequently to Nigeria.
“She further disclosed that she spent two weeks in Thailand, before she was handed the illicit consignment at the Thailand airport to deliver in Nigeria,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, the NDLEA also announced the interception of another major drug shipment at the Lagos airport import shed.
“Following close monitoring of the consignment by NDLEA operatives since its arrival from India aboard an Emirates Cargo flight, the 29 large cartons containing One Million, Eight Hundred and Twenty-Five Thousand, Seven Hundred and Ten (1,825,710) tablets of Tapentadol 250mg, worth Two Billion, One Hundred and Ninety Million, Eight Hundred and Fifty-Two Thousand Naira (N2,190,852,000) were eventually handed over to the NDLEA by the Customs Service on Friday 22nd May 2026,” it said.
In another operation at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, NDLEA operatives on May 20 arrested a suspect, Onyeka Valentine Emeka, during inward clearance of passengers on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Sierra Leone via Addis Ababa.
The suspect, according to the agency, excreted 185.36 grams of cocaine while under observation.
Babafemi added that “at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, a 29-year-old building engineer, Babatunde Prosper Afekhide was on Wednesday 21st May arrested by NDLEA operatives while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Abuja via Addis Ababa to Milan Malpensa, Italy.
“A search conducted on his luggage led to the recovery of 10,280 pills of Tramaking 225mg; Tramadol 200mg and Tapentadol 250mg. The opioids were concealed using foil paper and hidden inside a carton, in a suitcase, obviously to evade detection.
“In yet another operation at a courier company in Lagos, NDLEA operatives intercepted 1,174 pills of MDMA (Ecstasy) concealed in bicycle luggage carrier heading to Netherlands; 66 pills of tramadol 225mg hidden in soap container going to the United States and 18 tablets of tramadol 225mg concealed in body cream container heading to the United Kingdom,” the agency said.
In Edo State, operatives acting on intelligence raided Igwe community in Owan East Local Government Area, where 59 jumbo bags of skunk weighing 489kg and 9kg of cannabis seeds were recovered.
The agency also said a 30-year-old suspect, Isah Sani, was arrested with 196,000 pills of Exol-5 along the Zaria–Kano road in Kano State on May 20, while operatives at the Seme border in Badagry, Lagos, recovered 59kg of skunk from a warehouse in Mowo on May 19.
In Ekiti State, NDLEA operatives on May 23 raided a warehouse in Ikole-Ekiti and recovered 1,116 kilograms of skunk, arresting a 54-year-old suspect, Ogundana Adebayo Julius, in connection with the seizure.
The agency also disclosed continued nationwide War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres and communities across several states.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers involved in the operations and charged them to sustain the agency’s drug supply reduction and sensitisation efforts.
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