Abuja, Nigeria – President Bola Tinubu is said to have entered into a clandestine agreement with several southern governors to schedule all federal, state, and local elections to be conducted on the same day, sources familiar with the arrangement told Dalena Reporters.
Under the purported plan, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would consolidate electoral activities into a single “mega election day,” effectively merging the timelines for presidential, governorship, national assembly, state assembly, and local government polls.
According to insiders, the deal was brokered in secret, with the southern governors agreeing to support legislative amendments that would allow this change in the electoral calendar. In exchange, they are alleged to have sought assurances of increased federal investment and political leverage. The sources claim the arrangement was discussed during a recent closed-door meeting in Abuja.
The secrecy surrounding the arrangement has raised suspicion among observers who warn that it could undermine checks and balances in Nigeria’s electoral system. Critics argue that such a change, if implemented, may favor the incumbent government by compressing timelines, limiting campaign mobilization, and reducing oversight.
The southern governors’ alleged backing is said to have been sought to lend regional credibility to the initiative. Some of the states reportedly involved include Rivers, Cross River, Edo, Delta, and Enugu, though no governor has publicly affirmed participation or confirmed the deal.
At press time, President Tinubu’s office and representatives of the southern governors had not issued responses to requests for comment. The INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has not indicated any approval of such sweeping electoral reform.
Nigeria’s current electoral architecture requires separate elections held at different times for various offices, partly designed to spread out logistical demands and allow for staggered campaigning. The proposed consolidation would represent a radical shift in how elections are held in Nigeria.
If African democracies are any guide, the consolidation of election dates can carry risks: confusion, voter fatigue, and strains on election management bodies. Observers warn that implementing such a change without robust legal and institutional safeguards could compromise the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process.