Former presidential candidate, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has renewed his criticism of the electoral timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), describing it as unlawful, impractical, and insensitive to Nigeria’s political and religious realities.
Hashim said the current electoral schedule was creating avoidable tension within the political system and could destabilise party structures ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking on the development, he argued that the tight timetable does not provide political parties with adequate time to conduct internal primaries and other democratic processes.
According to him, the situation is already placing unnecessary pressure on political parties and contributing to rising internal conflicts across the country’s political landscape.
The former presidential candidate disclosed that he had earlier written an open letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, seeking intervention to ensure that INEC strictly complies with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
He, however, noted that no response had been received to the appeal.
Hashim also faulted INEC for scheduling politically intensive activities, including party primaries, during sensitive religious periods such as Hajj and Ileya (Eid al-Adha).
He said the periods already come with significant logistical and security demands, warning that combining them with political primaries could heighten tensions and cause avoidable disruptions.
“Combining election primaries with periods like Hajj and Ileya, which already carry security and mobility challenges, is unreasonable,” he said.
Hashim added that party primaries often generate political tension and security concerns, stressing that such activities require adequate spacing and proper planning.
He maintained that compressing religious and political schedules unnecessarily increases national risk and could undermine stability within political parties.
Citing Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, Hashim noted that political parties are required to submit nominations no later than 120 days before elections, a provision he said allows parties sufficient time to conclude their nomination processes.
“Why adopt a chaotic timetable that circumvents the provisions of the Act?” he queried.
He warned that failure to review the timetable could deepen political tensions and erode public confidence in the electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
