The House of Representatives has directed its Committee on Electoral Matters to invite the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to explain the commission’s preparedness for the 2027 general elections.

The decision followed a debate on a motion jointly sponsored on Wednesday by the Minority Whip, Mansur Manu Soro, and Abdussamad Dasuki, seeking an assessment of INEC’s capacity to conduct credible, transparent and acceptable elections.

The lawmakers said preparations must cover voter registration and education, logistics, technology, personnel training, security coordination and funding.

Leading the debate, Soro stressed that the commission’s readiness in these areas would play a major role in determining the credibility of the 2027 polls.

The lawmakers also cited lessons from the recent Ekiti State governorship election, particularly in logistics management, technology deployment, stakeholder engagement, security and voter participation.

However, the motion sparked debate over whether the INEC chairman should address the entire House during plenary or appear before the Committee on Electoral Matters.

Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu opposed an appearance before the full chamber, arguing that the committee could conduct the necessary oversight.

Kalu acknowledged the importance of legislative scrutiny but said INEC had already addressed some of the concerns raised by lawmakers during a recent public presentation by its chairman.

“The fulcrum of our democracy, which is the Parliament, has a core duty, which is to strengthen the belief in our democracy,” he said.

He added that the commission had not raised concerns about logistics, had commenced recruitment on time and had not expressed concerns about deploying technology.

Kalu consequently proposed an amendment directing the committee to invite the INEC chairman to answer questions on the commission’s preparations.

Supporting the amendment, Dasuki said the sponsors wanted INEC to explain how it planned to conduct elections amid the country’s security challenges.

He warned that insecurity could prevent some communities and polling units from participating in the 2027 elections.

“On this floor, Mr Speaker, we have had unprecedented 255 security-related motions that are captured here, and we believe there are a lot of constituencies, a lot of polling units that will not be able to participate in the election,” Dasuki said.

He said the lawmakers wanted the commission to outline measures to address such risks and ensure an inclusive electoral process.

Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, who presided over the session, urged members to allow the committee to provide the appropriate platform for questioning the INEC chairman.

He directed the committee to publicise the meeting date so interested lawmakers could attend, raise concerns and obtain answers from the commission.

Tajudeen also cautioned against using the number of security-related motions before the current Assembly as conclusive evidence that insecurity had worsened. He argued that the figures could reflect lawmakers’ increased responsiveness to security concerns.

“We are all in agreement that the INEC Chairman should be invited by the committee to answer questions from the members,” the Speaker ruled.

The House subsequently referred the motion to the Committee on Electoral Matters for further legislative action.