Electoral Act: 2027 election already decided – Shehu

A public affairs commentator, Mahdi Shehu, has alleged that the outcome of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections has already been determined.

In a post shared on X on Friday, Shehu claimed that from all intents and purposes, the fate of the 2027 elections has been sealed.

He argued that key political actors, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the All Progressives Congress (APC), factions within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and members of the Senate, are on the same page regarding the issue of manual transmission of election results.

According to him, the Senate’s decision to support manual voting alongside electronic transmission creates what he described as a deliberate window for manipulation.

He further alleged that because INEC officials are appointed by President Bola Tinubu, the commission would likely act in ways that favour the appointing authority.

“With the provision of manual voting imposed by the Senate on behalf of other visible interested parties, it is safe to assume that winners of the 2027 elections are already known by their names and platforms,” Shehu wrote.

Despite his concerns, Shehu ended his message on a religious note, stating that while politicians may plan, Allah is the best of planners, and also quoted a Bible verse, Jeremiah 29:11, which speaks about hope and the future.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”.