The Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has said that the parliament is considering a constitutional amendment that would enable all elections to be conducted on a single day.
Currently, presidential and National Assembly elections are held simultaneously, while governorship and state house of assembly elections are conducted on separate dates.
While addressing a delegation from the European Union (EU) in Abuja on Thursday, Abbas stated that holding all elections on the same day would improve credibility and address the issue of low voter turnout.
He emphasised that the House is dedicated to significant electoral reforms, mentioning that the suggested constitutional amendments include reserved seats for women and individuals with disabilities, financial autonomy, clearly defined roles for traditional rulers, and the simultaneous conduct of all national elections, among other matters.
“Like the single-day election, it is to hold the election of the president, National Assembly membership, governorship and state house of assembly membership elections on the same day,” he said.
Abbas called on the EU delegation to assist the National Assembly with advocacy and publicity, noting the importance of state assemblies also approving the proposed reforms.
The National Assembly is currently in the process of amending the 1999 Constitution and plans to vote on the alteration bills this month.
Previous attempts to pass the bill for same-day elections in earlier assemblies have encountered major obstacles.