Electoral Act: Nigerian lawmakers re-amend bill for INEC to change 2027 election dates

The Senate on Tuesday rescinded its earlier decision on Clause 28 of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, reducing the period within which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must publish a notice of election from 360 days to 180 days.

It re-amended the clause to provide that INEC shall publish a notice of election not later than 300 days before the date of the election.

The upper chamber said the rescission became necessary after it discovered errors in about 22 clauses of the bill, including Clause 60, which prescribed that electronic transmission of results be optional rather than mandatory.

With the new provision, the presidential and National Assembly elections may now be conducted in December 2026 or January 2027.

The rescission was approved after a majority of senators supported it through a voice vote at the Committee of the Whole, where the affected clauses were re-amended and reconsidered.

Last Friday, INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, announced that the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections would be held on 20 February 2027.

Going by the announcement, the elections will fall within the 2027 Ramadan period. Since then, some Muslim groups have called for a rescheduling of the polls to avoid coinciding with the fasting period.

During plenary, lawmakers re-amended the Electoral Act to empower INEC to adjust the 2027 presidential and National Assembly election dates to avoid a clash with Ramadan.

The decision followed a motion moved by the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele.

Mr Bamidele, who represents Ekiti Central Senatorial District, said holding the elections during Ramadan could adversely affect voter turnout, logistical coordination, stakeholder engagement, and the overall inclusiveness and credibility of the electoral process.

He noted that upon detailed scrutiny of the bill, discrepancies were identified in the Long Title and Clauses 6, 9, 10, 22, 23, 28, 29, 32, 42, 47, 51, 60, 62, 64, 65, 73, 77, 86, 87, 89, 93 and 143, affecting cross-referencing, serial numbering and internal consistency.

INEC consultation

Mr Bamidele further stated that INEC had consulted members of the National Assembly following concerns raised by some Muslim stakeholders who demanded that the elections be shifted to avoid coinciding with Ramadan.

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He said INEC requested that the Electoral Act amendment be reviewed to grant the commission the constitutional authority to adjust its election timetable where necessary.

Plateau South Senator, Simon Lalong, who chairs the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, seconded the motion.

Mr Lalong, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress and a former governor of Plateau State, noted that lawmakers had worked on the amendment bill for over two years.

He added that the election timetable announced by the INEC chairman followed an existing template developed by the commission’s immediate past leadership, covering election cycles from 2019 to 2031.

The senator urged Nigerians to be fair to the INEC chairperson, arguing that the law provides room for amendments when necessary.

The senate president subsequently put the motion to a voice vote, and the majority of lawmakers supported it.