A public affairs analyst, Sumner Sambo, has criticised the Presidency for what he described as a failure to exercise due diligence before signing the 2026 Electoral Act into law, following a Federal High Court judgement that nullified key aspects of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) election timetable ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Sambo made the remarks on Thursday during an interview on Arise Television, where he reacted to the court’s decision invalidating portions of INEC’s electoral schedule.
According to him, the Presidency acted in haste by approving the Electoral Act without thoroughly examining its constitutional implications and operational timelines.
“The Presidency did not pay adequate due diligence before signing the Electoral Act. The President was too hasty in assenting to the Act without allowing his team to properly study and understand its provisions,” Sambo said.
He maintained that both the Constitution and the Electoral Act clearly stipulate the timelines political parties must follow in submitting candidates and conducting primaries ahead of elections.
Sambo questioned INEC’s decision to move critical deadlines forward despite what he described as sufficient available time before the January 16 general elections.
“If political parties are required to submit candidates and credentials 120 days before the election, and the election is fixed for January 16, why then would the deadline be shifted from September down to May?” he queried.
He argued that the electoral calendar still allowed several months for political parties to conduct primaries and other internal processes without unnecessary pressure.
“Between May and September, there are still about four months available. Why is INEC rushing the process?” he asked.
The analyst, however, suggested that the electoral body’s accelerated timetable may have been influenced by delays from the National Assembly in passing the Electoral Act.
According to him, the legislation ought to have been concluded by December 2025 to give INEC enough time to adequately plan its logistics and electoral operations ahead of the polls.
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