By Emmanuella Opara | October 29th 2026
KEY POINTS
- Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has opposed a motion seeking to summon INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, to brief lawmakers on preparations for the 2027 general elections.
- Kalu said INEC’s recent public briefing was sufficient and warned that another appearance before the full House could create unnecessary panic.
- He urged lawmakers to channel further concerns through the relevant standing committee.
- The House adopted an amendment referring the matter to the Committee on Electoral Matters.
MAIN STORY
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has opposed a proposal to summon the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, to brief lawmakers on preparations for the 2027 general elections, arguing that the commission’s recent public engagement was sufficient.
Kalu made his position known during Wednesday’s plenary while lawmakers debated a motion sponsored by Minority Whip Mansur Soro and Deputy Minority Leader Abdulsamad Dasuki.
The motion sought to invite Amupitan to address the House on the commission’s readiness for the elections. However, Kalu argued that another briefing before the full chamber could distract INEC from its preparations and undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
He maintained that the commission had been engaging the public on election preparations and addressing concerns raised about its activities. He also said INEC had not complained about logistical challenges and had started its preparations on time.
Kalu argued that the responsibility for engaging the electoral commission rested with the relevant standing committee of the House, warning that summoning the chairman before the entire chamber could weaken the committee’s mandate.
He urged lawmakers to amend the motion so that any further briefing would take place before the relevant committee rather than during plenary.
The deputy speaker also cautioned that inviting the INEC chairman shortly after a public briefing could generate unnecessary concern among Nigerians about the credibility and preparedness of the electoral process.
His proposed amendment was seconded by Babajimi Benson, a member representing Lagos State.
Following a voice vote conducted by Speaker of the House Abbas Tajudeen, lawmakers adopted the amendment and referred the motion to the House Committee on Electoral Matters.
THE ISSUES
The debate centres on how the National Assembly should oversee INEC’s preparations for the 2027 elections while allowing the commission to carry out its responsibilities.
Kalu’s position is that the relevant House committee should handle further engagement with the electoral body, rather than requiring the INEC chairman to appear before the full House after addressing the public.
The motion, however, reflects lawmakers’ interest in obtaining assurances about the commission’s readiness for the elections. The source does not provide details of specific logistical shortcomings or other failures alleged against INEC.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
“Mr Speaker, I have gone through this well-written motion by my brother, Mansur Soro, and I have also taken cognisance of some paragraphs of this particular motion which have to do with awareness, concern and recognition paragraphs. Mr Speaker, it appears that when the chairman of INEC presented to the public not too long ago and addressed some of these concerns and questions, they were not listened to,” Benjamin Kalu, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, said.
“We are very serious about public engagement, about the preparations. Mr Speaker, they have not complained about logistics. They have started on time,” Benjamin Kalu, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, said.
“It is the committee of the House that has been given this responsibility to do so, and that is why I stand not in support of the prayer of this particular motion, because supporting the prayer is belittling the mandate of the committee set up to carry out this function,” Benjamin Kalu, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, said.
“Inviting the Chairman of INEC to come and brief the House when he just briefed the entire nation is not ideal. Don’t we believe in our committees again? They are charged with the responsibilities, and the chairmen of these committees are well educated and informed to carry out their responsibilities. Mr Speaker, based on that, I want to move that this prayer be changed to inviting INEC to meet with the committee for any briefing, not coming to the House,” Benjamin Kalu, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, said.
WHAT’S NEXT
The House Committee on Electoral Matters is expected to handle the motion following the adoption of Kalu’s amendment. The source does not specify when the committee will meet with INEC or whether a briefing date has been agreed.
BOTTOM LINE
The House of Representatives has opted to channel further scrutiny of INEC’s 2027 election preparations through its Committee on Electoral Matters rather than summon the commission’s chairman before the full chamber. The decision preserves the committee’s role in engaging the electoral body while leaving further details of the briefing unresolved.
