The Executive Director of YIAGA Africa, Samson Itodo, has expressed concerns that the forthcoming 2027 general elections could be the most compromised or jeopardised.
Itodo, stated this on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ programme.
He commented on the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the state of Nigerian elections, with concerns that the new chairman of the electoral body, after the exit of Yakubu Mahmoud, may not have sufficient time to settle down and prepare for the 2027 election.
He also pointed out that some commissioners in INEC will also be leaving office on the eve of the 2027 election.
According to him, the 2027 election might perhaps be the most expensive in Nigeria’s history.
He said, “The 2027 elections could most likely be the most compromised, and perhaps the most expensive; if it’s not managed carefully from a statesman point of view you could probably have the next election jeopardised.
“The level of trust of citizens in the electoral process is also at its lowest.
“The incumbent INEC chairman Prof Yakubu Mahmoud has been there for ten years and his exit will leave a vacuum. You will ask if a new INEC chairman is being appointed, is there sufficient time for him to settle down?
“You see commissioners who are leaving next year and those leaving on the eve of the 2027 elections. So to a large extent, it is quite significant.”
