INEC Finalises Timetable For 2027 General Election

 

The Independent National Elec­toral Commission (INEC) said it has concluded the timetable for the 2027 general election.

But there were strong indica­tions that the electoral body may be awaiting the electoral amend­ments in the National Assembly before releasing it to the general public.

Chairman of INEC, Joash Amupitan, gave the hint on Wednesday, when he held his first regular consultative meeting of the year with civil society organ­isations (CSOs) in Abuja.

Amupitan, however, ex­pressed his reservation with the National Assembly over the Elec­toral Act amendments, urging the lawmakers to expedite action on the amendments.

He said, “Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022 empowers the commission to issue a notice of election not later than 360 days be­fore the date of the poll. While the National Assembly is currently working on amendments to the Electoral Act, the commission has made its submission as re­quired.

“We are mindful of the grow­ing public interest and anticipa­tion surrounding the release of the timetable and wish to assure the media, political parties and the Nigerian public that the time­table and schedule of activities for the 2027 general election has been finalised by the commission in full compliance with the con­stitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and the Electoral Act, 2022. We seek your support in urging the National Assembly to expedite ac­tion on the ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act”.

He gave a run-down of the FCT Area Council Election slat­ed for Saturday, February 21, 2026.

Giving a glimpse of the level of preparations, Amupitan said the election will involve 1,680,315 registered voters, across 2,822 poll­ing units (PUs) in the six (6) Area Councils of the FCT —namely Abaji, the Abuja Municipal Area Council, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali.

He said it will be contested by 570 candidates in 68 constitu­encies for the positions of chair­men and vice-chairmen and 62 councilors made up of 10 wards each for five Area Councils and 12 wards for the Abuja Municipal Area Council.

He noted that the timetable and schedule of activities for the election which was released Jan­uary 23, 2025 consists of 13 key ac­tivities, 10 of which have already been successfully completed.

He said the remaining activ­ities relate to the publication of the notice of poll, the last day of campaigns and election day itself.

He reminded parties that cam­paigns end on Thursday, Febru­ary 19, 2026.

He spoke about bye-elections to be conducted in Ahoada East II and Khana II State Constituencies of Rivers State.

According to the INEC chairman, on February 21, 2026, the commission will conduct bye-elections in Ahoada East II and Khana II State Constituencies of Rivers State.

He explained that the vacan­cies in Ahoada East II and Khana II arose from the resignation and death of the elected members, respectively.

“In Ahoada East II, voting by 41,085 registered voters will take place in 87 polling units (PUs) across six wards, while in Khana II, 71,865 registered voters are ex­pected to vote in 155 polling units across eight wards.

“Similarly, bye-elections will be conducted on the same day for the Kano Municipal and Ungogo State Constituencies of Kano State as a result of the death of the two serving members.

“In the Kano Municipal con­stituency, 330,228 registered voters will vote in 630 polling units (PUs) across 13 wards, while in Ungogo constituency, 205,418 registered voters will vote in 384 polling units (PUs) across 11 wards. Ten political parties are participating in both bye-elections.

“Furthermore, in compli­ance with Section 28(1) and (2) of the Electoral Act, 2022, the commission, on 25th June, 2025, announced that the Ekiti State governorship election will be held on 20th June, 2026, across 2,445 polling units in the 16 LGAs of the state.

“Of the 13 activities outlined in the election timetable, eight (8) have already been completed. In addition, the Osun State gover­norship election.”

He said the commission is in the process of cleaning up the voter register, with a view to ex­punging deceased persons and those who engaged in double registration.

His words, “A credible register of voters remains the bedrock of free, fair and transparent elec­tions. No electoral process can command public confidence without trust in the integrity of its voters’ register. Nigeria’s national register, first compiled ahead of the 2011 general election, has since been continuously up­dated and deployed in the gener­al elections of 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023, as well as in several off-cycle governorship and bye-elections.

“As of the 2023 general election, the register stood at 93,469,008 voters. However, per­sistent challenges —including du­plicate registrations, registration by non-citizens, deceased voters and incomplete or inaccurate re­cords— continue to generate legit­imate concerns. Such anomalies undermine public confidence in the electoral process. In response, the commission will embark on a thorough clean-up with a view to further sanitising and strength­ening the integrity of the register. Accordingly, the commission will soon embark on a nationwide Vot­er Revalidation Exercise ahead of the 2027 general election.”

On political parties’ registra­tion, the commission received a total of 171 letters of intent from associations seeking registration as political parties.

He said the associations were assessed in line with Section 222 of the constitution of the Feder­al Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), Section 79(1), (2) and (4) of the Electoral Act, 2022, as well as Clause 2 of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022.

“Several of the associations were unable to fulfil the constitu­tional requirements and the re­quirements of the Electoral Act, 2022, as well as the Regulations and Guidelines for Political Par­ties. The successful association(s) will soon be announced by the commission.

“As we look towards the 2027 general elections, it is impera­tive that we remain vigilant and proactive. We must prepare for a seamless electoral process that embodies the ideals of democ­racy, justice, and inclusivity. This is a collective responsibility, and each one of you plays a vital role in fostering democracy in Nige­ria,” he stated.