New Electoral Act Forces INEC to Rework 2027 General Election Schedule

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed it will issue a revised timetable for the 2027 general elections following the enactment of the Electoral Act 2026.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash O. Amupitan, SAN, made this known on Wednesday during a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in Abuja, explaining that the earlier Notice of Election released on February 13, 2026, was based on the Electoral Act 2022.

According to him, the emergence of the new law makes it necessary for the Commission to adjust its schedule to ensure compliance with the updated legal framework governing elections in the country.

“We had on 13th February, 2026 issued a Notice of Election before the new Act was enacted. The Notice was issued under the old law. With the introduction of the new Electoral Act, we have to make some adjustments and issue a revised Timetable for the 2027 General Election,” he said.

The INEC Chairman noted that beyond the revised timetable, the Commission would also review its Regulations and Guidelines for the 2027 polls to align with the new provisions.

He disclosed that preparatory activities are already underway, including a Voters Revalidation Exercise to further sanitise and strengthen the voters’ register. He added that the second phase of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), which began on January 5, 2026, will continue until April 17, 2026, as part of a broader process expected to conclude on August 30, 2026.

The meeting also served as a post-election review session following the February 21, 2026, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council election and bye-elections in Kano and Rivers states.

While commending the peaceful conduct of the polls and the high rate of result uploads to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal—averaging 97 per cent in the FCT exercise—Prof. Amupitan identified voter education, punctuality in opening polling units, and logistics as areas requiring urgent improvement.

He directed RECs to intensify voter sensitisation efforts, insisting that public awareness must be continuous rather than episodic. The Chairman also expressed dissatisfaction with reports that only 45 per cent of polling units opened at 8:30 a.m. during recent elections, describing the figure as unacceptable.

“As Resident Electoral Commissioners, you are the Commission in your states. The buck stops with you. You must strengthen supervision, ensure early deployment of personnel and materials, and hold your Electoral Officers accountable,” he warned.

The session also featured the swearing-in of Dr. Chukwu Chukwuemeka Joseph as the new REC for Abia State.

In addition, INEC received a delegation from the Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions of Nigeria (FOSIECON), led by its National Chairman, Mamman Nda Eri. The forum proposed enhanced collaboration with INEC in capacity building, technology deployment, voter education, and policy engagement.

As stakeholders await the revised timetable, attention is expected to focus on how the new Electoral Act will reshape critical milestones such as party primaries, nominations, campaigns, and polling dates ahead of the 2027 general elections.