Nigeria’s next presidential and governorship elections could be conducted in November 2026, as the National Assembly has proposed moving the polls six months earlier than usual.
The plan was unveiled on Monday during a public hearing jointly organized by the Senate and House Committees on Electoral Matters in Abuja. The proposal, contained in the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2025, seeks to guarantee that all election petitions are resolved before the May 29, 2027 handover date.
According to the draft bill, “Elections into the office of the President and Governor of a State shall be held not later than 185 days before the expiration of the term of office of the last holder of the office.”
This amendment would effectively place the 2027 general elections around November 2026, approximately six months before the end of the current administration’s tenure.
Hon. Adebayo Balogun, Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, said the change aims to ensure that all litigations arising from elections are concluded before the swearing-in of elected officials.
He revealed that the National Assembly intends to amend Sections 285 and 139 of the 1999 Constitution to shorten timelines for election petitions—reducing tribunal verdicts from 180 to 90 days and appellate court rulings from 90 to 60 days. The entire judicial process, he noted, would not exceed 185 days.
Other key highlights of the proposal include early voting privileges for certain categories of Nigerians—such as security personnel, INEC staff, accredited journalists, and election observers—at least 14 days before the main polls.
The bill also proposes to make electronic transmission of results mandatory, with stiff penalties for officials who fail to comply.
Under the proposed Section 60(5), “The Presiding Officer shall transmit the results, including the total number of accredited voters, to the next level of collation both electronically and manually.”
Electoral officers who issue unstamped ballot papers or unsigned result sheets could face up to one year imprisonment or a ₦1 million fine.
Stakeholders, including representatives from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) led by Prof. Abdullahi Zuru, expressed strong support for the bill, noting that electronic transmission would strengthen transparency and credibility in Nigeria’s electoral process.
In July, a related proposal to conduct all Nigerian elections on the same day in 2027 had drawn mixed reactions. While opposition parties such as the PDP, Labour Party, ADC, and NNPP backed the idea, the ruling APC rejected it, warning of logistical and political complications.
The initiative, driven by the House Committee on Constitution Review chaired by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, emerged from nationwide consultations across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
If enacted, the amendment would mandate INEC to conduct presidential, governorship, National Assembly, and state assembly elections on the same day, a reform expected to reduce election costs and minimize post-election ripple effects.
