The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has urged the National Assembly to expedite amendments to the country’s electoral legal framework ahead of the 2027 general elections.

INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, made the appeal on Thursday in Abuja during a meeting with Barry Andrews, Head of the European Union (EU) Election Observation Follow-up Mission to Nigeria.

Yakubu stressed that early passage of the legislation is essential to the commission’s ability to prepare effectively for the polls.

“Uncertainty over the legal framework for the election can unsettle the commission’s work as the election draws nearer,” he said.

According to him, INEC has already reviewed the eight recommendations directed at the commission in the EU mission’s report on the 2023 elections.

He recalled that in 2019, the EU mission presented 30 recommendations, 11 of which were specific to INEC. Out of these, three were classified as priority areas, while the remaining eight were general. The other 15 recommendations — five of them priority issues — required action from the executive, legislature, judiciary, political parties, and other stakeholders.

“The commission has carefully considered all eight recommendations specifically addressed to us in your report.

“Action has been taken on recommendations requiring only administrative measures. Likewise, work is ongoing on cross-cutting recommendations that demand collaboration between INEC and other institutions, while we await the outcome of the legal review by the National Assembly for issues needing legislative action,” Yakubu added.

In his remarks, Andrews explained that the EU mission’s visit was aimed at assessing the extent to which INEC has implemented the recommendations from the 2023 elections.

He said the team was also interested in understanding the progress made so far, the challenges that remain, and the obstacles ahead, particularly in relation to constitutional reforms.

“We are pleased to note significant progress on these recommendations. However, we recognise the time constraints that exist, both in terms of judicial reform and administrative reform,” Andrews said.