Former presidential candidate Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim has renewed criticism of the electoral timetable issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission, describing it as unlawful, unworkable, and dismissive of Nigeria’s political and religious realities ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Olawepo-Hashim specifically faulted INEC for scheduling key political activities, including party primaries, around sensitive religious periods such as the Hajj pilgrimage and Eid al-Adha celebrations. He argued this combination would compound logistical and security pressures already associated with the religious seasons and create avoidable tensions within party structures.

He said the tight electoral calendar does not allow political parties sufficient time to conduct internal democratic processes in an orderly manner, and warned that the resulting pressure was already generating conflicts within party organisations nationwide.

Olawepo-Hashim disclosed that he had written to President Tinubu urging him to direct INEC to comply strictly with the provisions of the Electoral Act, but had received no response. He maintained that the Electoral Act already provides adequate time for parties to conclude their nomination processes, citing Section 29(1) which requires parties to submit nominees not later than 120 days before elections. Under this provision, he argued, parties have until approximately mid-September to finalise nominations, making the compressed timetable unnecessary.

He cautioned that failure to revise the scheduling framework risked deepening political tensions and eroding public confidence in the electoral process as the country approaches the 2027 elections.