2027 INEC Election Timetable: Commission to Review Electoral Act 2026
By: Abudu Olalekan
The Independent National Electoral Commission is reviewing the Electoral Act 2026 to make sure the 2027 elections follow the law.
A new schedule is coming soon, Mr Adedayo Oketola mentioned. The Chief Press Secretary spoke after a meeting with Prof. Joash Amupitan, who leads the group. While no specific day was given, clarity should follow shortly. Staying within legal boundaries remains the goal, according to him.
Fresh dates were requested by certain groups, Oketola said, since the previous schedule clashes with the updated law. The changes made the old timeline unworkable, according to his statement to Reportersroom.
“There’s a new law now,” he said. “We have to move with it.”
Parties push for a clear schedule
Reportersroom heard from the ADC, then the PDP said it too – both want those dates quickly. Not long after, the APC chimed in with the same message. The New Nigeria Peoples Party closed the loop: time is tight, hand them over soon.
Bolaji Abdullahi, speaking for the African Democratic Congress, mentioned that several events remain – council and state gatherings along with two major national meetings. A delayed schedule could leave them scrambling, he pointed out.
Dipo Johnson of the New Nigeria Peoples Party echoed that. “We need to know the pace of preparation. If the election comes a little earlier, we will need to shift our internal work quickly.”
The APC official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “The 2022 Act is gone. The 2026 Act is the rule now. We are expecting the timetable any day, otherwise we will be operating outside the law.”
Legal experts stress compliance
Femi Falana, speaking as a senior legal representative, said reporters must understand one thing clearly: sticking to past schedules just won’t happen. Should the body ignore fresh deadlines, its actions would cross into unlawful territory, he pointed out without hesitation.
A senior constitutional lawyer, who asked to stay unnamed because of ongoing advisory work, explained: “When a law changes, the administrative tool – the timetable – must change too. If it does not, courts will strike it down as a conflict between the Act and the commission’s action.”
Three hundred days before election day now sets the pace for primary contests, paperwork deadlines, plus campaign routines under the updated law. Skipping ahead would push everything past legal boundaries if INEC sticks to prior timelines. Trouble in court becomes likely when schedules clash like that
Ahead of any court battles, changing the timetable openly makes more sense, according to legal experts. Stability in voting plans comes not from habit but from rules that hold up when tested, their reasoning goes.
Religious groups push back
When Ramadan begins, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria points out, those dates bump right into plans for voting. Shifting elections due to faith-based timing might chip away at how separate religion stays from government here.
Bishop David Bakare, National Secretary of PFN, asked, “Are we still a secular state? In advanced democracies, elections do not halt economic life. In Nigeria, we get a holiday for everything.”
When Ramadan comes into play, that’s when talk of the 2027 schedule heats up. Defending the constitution matters more than aligning public plans with faith-based calendars, he said.
The road ahead
Pulling together their plans matters most when dates are set fast. Congresses need space to meet once rules feel certain. Filing papers goes smoother if deadlines appear upfront. Campaigns take shape better without last-minute court risks hanging around.
A fresh look at the Electoral Act 2026 by the commission makes real sense. Because of it, rules stay valid, party timelines won’t slip off course, while judges sit ready but unused.
Ahead of the 300-day mark, everyone involved – from legal experts to religious figures – says the updated schedule needs releasing. While they wait, politics hangs suspended, unsure what step the commission takes next.
