Nigeria’s electoral umpire has said it will review its timetable for the 2027 general election following the passage of a new electoral law that shortens the mandatory notice period for polls.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirmed it was studying the Electoral Act 2026 and would issue a revised schedule to ensure compliance with the statute.
Adedayo Oketola, chief press secretary and media adviser to the INEC chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, said the commission remained committed to abiding by the law. While declining to specify when a fresh timetable would be published, he said a review was under way.
“The commission will review the new Electoral Act 2026. After this, a revised timetable should be released,” Oketola said.
The move follows mounting pressure from political parties and constitutional lawyers who argue that INEC cannot proceed under a framework derived from the repealed 2022 Act.
Last Friday, INEC announced that presidential and National Assembly elections would hold on 20 February 2027, with governorship and state assembly polls scheduled for 6 March 2027. The timetable immediately drew criticism from sections of the public, particularly some Muslim groups, who said the dates clashed with Ramadan.
Amid the controversy, the National Assembly passed the Electoral Act 2026, reducing the mandatory notice period for elections from 360 days to 300 days. Clause 28 now requires INEC to publish notice of elections “not later than 300 days” before polling day, specifying both the date and nomination venues.
The amendment potentially allows the presidential and National Assembly elections to be held between late December 2026 and January 2027, compressing the political calendar and shifting the window for primaries, candidate submissions and campaigns.
Senior lawyers say the legal implications are clear. Femi Falana, a senior advocate of Nigeria, said the commission must produce a new timetable aligned 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.
A senior constitutional lawyer, speaking on condition of anonymity because of ongoing advisory work with political parties, described election timetables as “derivative instruments” that must reflect statutory changes.
“If the Act changes, the derivative instrument must also change,” he said. “Otherwise, you create a conflict between statutory law and administrative action – precisely the sort of inconsistency courts are quick to strike down.”
Failure to recalibrate the calendar, he warned, could trigger a wave of pre-election litigation. “Political actors are highly sensitive to timing. If one party believes another gained advantage from a timetable not strictly aligned with the new law, the courts will be approached immediately.”
Political parties echoed those concerns, warning that uncertainty over dates could disrupt internal processes.
A senior official of the All Progressives Congress (APC), speaking anonymously, said the party expected a revised timetable “anytime soon”, noting that all electoral processes must now be conducted under the 2026 Act.
Bolaji Abdullahi, national publicity secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), urged INEC to act swiftly and consult stakeholders. He said the party still had local government and state congresses to conduct, as well as two national conventions, and warned that insufficient notice could jeopardise statutory processes.
“For us, the most important thing is that INEC should decide as quickly as possible,” Abdullahi said. “We are hoping it will not be done in a way that does not give us sufficient time to do all necessary party activities.”
The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) also called for urgency. Its national publicity secretary, Dipo Johnson, said parties needed clarity to avoid being rushed by compressed deadlines, particularly if elections are brought forward.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said INEC must ensure its timetable aligns strictly with the amended law. A factional national publicity secretary, Ini Ememobong, said the commission had “no choice” but to adjust its schedule in light of the new legislation, adding that the party lacked confidence in INEC’s commitment to free and fair polls.
The controversy has also reignited debate over religion and the electoral calendar. The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) rejected calls to adjust election dates solely because they coincide with Ramadan, warning that doing so would undermine Nigeria’s secular character.
Bishop David Bakare, PFN’s national secretary, questioned why similar objections were not raised when the 2023 election overlapped with the Lenten season. Shifting dates on religious grounds, he argued, risked elevating faith considerations above constitutional principles.
“Are we not a secular state?” he asked. “Elections are civic exercises. They should not be subordinated to religious observances.”
For INEC, the immediate task is less philosophical than procedural: ensuring that administrative planning matches the revised statutory framework. Whether the recalibration soothes political tensions – or ushers in a fresh round of legal challenges – will depend on how swiftly and transparently the commission acts.
