A chieftain of the Labour Party and legal practitioner, Kenneth Okonkwo, has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its decision to schedule elections on separate dates.
Okonkwo faulted the electoral body for not conducting all elections on the same day, arguing that there is no legal barrier preventing such an arrangement. According to him, Paragraph 2 of INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines which provides for staggered elections is an internal rule made by the commission and can be overridden when necessary.
He maintained that Nigeria’s current economic realities do not support the financial burden of conducting elections on two different days within a short period. Okonkwo described the logistics involved as “humongous,” noting that the country lacks the resources to sustain what he termed an avoidable expenditure.
The former presidential campaign spokesperson stressed that holding elections weeks apart could worsen voter apathy, as many Nigerians may find it difficult to return to polling units due to prevailing security and economic challenges.
He called on INEC Chairman and senior officials of the commission, including Prof. Amupitan, to urgently reconsider the schedule and consolidate all elections into a single day.
Okonkwo argued that such a move would significantly reduce the projected N873 billion budget for the elections, potentially cutting the cost almost in half while easing the burden on voters.
