The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to review the new Electoral Act 2026 and issue a revised timetable for the 2027 general elections, to ensure full compliance with the law.
INEC’s Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to its chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, said the Commission remains committed to operating strictly within legal provisions. While no specific date has been given, he confirmed that a new election schedule will be released after the review.
The development follows growing calls from political parties and legal experts who say the existing timetable cannot stand under the amended law.
INEC had earlier scheduled presidential and National Assembly elections for February 20, 2027, with governorship and state assembly polls set for March 6, 2027. However, the new Electoral Act reduced the mandatory election notice period from 360 days to 300 days, forcing a potential shift in timelines.
Legal experts say the change automatically alters key deadlines for party primaries, candidate nominations, and campaign activities – making a revised timetable unavoidable.
A senior lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) stressed that once a new law takes effect, all electoral preparations must align with it. Any mismatch, he warned, could trigger legal challenges and disrupt the election process.
Political parties say they urgently need a new timetable to organise internal processes. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) said delays could disrupt its congresses and national conventions, while the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) warned that uncertainty could leave parties rushing to meet statutory deadlines. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also called for full alignment between the timetable and the new law, though it expressed concerns about the electoral body’s preparedness for a credible poll.
The earlier election dates also sparked criticism from some Muslim groups who said the schedule clashes with Ramadan. However, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria opposed adjusting election dates on religious grounds, warning that such changes could undermine Nigeria’s secular status and complicate constitutional governance.
INEC says it is reviewing the legal implications of the new Act and will issue a revised timetable afterward. The Commission emphasised that the original schedule complied with the previous law but must now be reconsidered under the updated framework.
With political parties demanding clarity and legal experts warning of possible court challenges, attention now turns to when INEC will unveil the new roadmap for the 2027 elections.
