Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president, has questioned the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) ability to run fair elections. He said, “Something as simple as picking a date that most people can agree on should not be messed up.”
He asked INEC to change the dates of the elections on February 20 and March 6, 2027, because they fell during Ramadan, a holy month of fasting, prayer, and devotion for millions of Nigerian Muslims, according to Weekend Trust.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) head and presidential candidate stated on Facebook that if INEC doesn’t handle the scheduling issue correctly, “what assurance do we have that it will competently deliver free, fair, and credible elections in 2027?”
Atiku remarked, “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) needs to quickly rethink the date it set for the general elections on February 20, 2027.” That date is right in the middle of Ramadan (February 7–March 8, 2027), a holy time of fasting, prayer, and spiritual devotion for millions of Nigerian Muslims.
Elections are not just administrative tasks; they are national events that require everyone to be involved, stay focused, and be physically fit.
“Putting such an important civic event in the middle of a significant religious holiday shows bad judgment and a worrying lack of understanding of the country’s social and religious reality.
“In a country as diverse as Nigeria, planning that includes everyone is not an option; it is necessary. It is not okay to mess up something as simple as picking a date that most people can agree on. It shows that you are competent, have forethought, and care about the people.
“If INEC can’t even get the timing right, Nigerians have every right to ask, ‘What guarantee do we have that it will hold free, fair, and credible elections in 2027?'”
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