2027: INEC to unveil revised election timetable

By Khubayb Adefaka

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it will review the Electoral Act 2026 and release a revised timetable for the 2027 general elections in compliance with the new law.

The Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Mr Adedayo Oketola, disclosed this in an interview with Sunday PUNCH, stating that the commission remained committed to abiding by the law.

“The recently released timetable by INEC was done in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act 2022.

The commission will review the new Electoral Act 2026. After this, a revised timetable should be released,” Oketola said.

Although he did not specify when the updated schedule would be made public, he assured that the matter was receiving attention.

INEC had earlier announced that presidential and National Assembly elections would hold on February 20, 2027, while governorship and state Houses of Assembly polls were slated for March 6, 2027.

However, the timetable drew criticism from some quarters, particularly Muslim groups, who argued that the dates coincided with the Ramadan fasting period.

Amid the controversy, the National Assembly passed the Electoral Act 2026, reducing the mandatory notice period for elections from 360 days to 300 days. The amendment to Clause 28 requires INEC to publish notice of elections not later than 300 days before the date fixed for the polls.

The new provision is expected to give the commission flexibility to schedule the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections between late December 2026 and January 2027.

Legal experts have argued that INEC cannot lawfully proceed under the repealed 2022 Electoral Act.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Femi Falana, said the commission must align its timetable with the amended law.

“There must be a new timetable in line with the new Electoral Act. That is the place of law,” he said.

Another senior constitutional lawyer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, explained that once a new law comes into effect, it supersedes previous frameworks.

“The timetable is a derivative of the Act. If the Act changes, the derivative instrument must also change. Otherwise, you create a conflict between statutory law and administrative action,” he said, warning that failure to adjust could trigger pre-election litigation.

Political parties have also called for clarity to enable them to organise primaries and other internal processes.

The National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Bolaji Abdullahi, urged INEC to act swiftly to provide adequate time for party congresses and national conventions.

Similarly, the National Publicity Secretary of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Dipo Johnson, said early communication of any revised timetable would help parties avoid being rushed by tight deadlines.

On its part, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said INEC must ensure that its timetable aligns with the new Electoral Act to guarantee proper preparation for the polls. A factional National Publicity Secretary of the party, Ini Ememobong, expressed concerns about the commission’s commitment to conducting a free and fair election.

Meanwhile, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has opposed calls to adjust the election dates on religious grounds.

The National Secretary of PFN, Bishop David Bakare, warned that shifting election dates because they coincide with religious observances could undermine Nigeria’s secular status.

“All the noise about the need to change the election date because it falls within the Lenten season and Ramadan further reinforces the fact that Nigeria has not only lost the status of a secular state, but we have also preferred one religion to another,” Bakare said.

He urged political leaders to uphold constitutional provisions and avoid introducing religious considerations into civic processes such as elections.

As debates continue, stakeholders await INEC’s revised timetable, which is expected to clarify the roadmap to the 2027 general elections under the amended electoral framework.