The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cautioned that further delays in amending the Electoral Act could impact key aspects of the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN), raised the concern on Wednesday during the commission’s first quarterly consultative meeting with civil society organisations (CSOs) in Abuja.
Amupitan explained that INEC had already finalized its election timetable and schedule based on the existing provisions of the Electoral Act 2022. However, he noted that any alterations introduced by the ongoing amendment process would necessitate adjustments to certain items in the plan.
“While we have made our submissions to the National Assembly, the passage of the amendment may have implications for certain items in our timetable,” he said. “However, for now, the commission has no choice but to operate within the framework of the subsisting Electoral Act.”
The chairman appealed to CSOs to join INEC in pressing the National Assembly to expedite action on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill to provide clarity and certainty well ahead of the 2027 polls.
“We seek your support in urging the National Assembly to speed up work on the amendment of the Electoral Act,” Amupitan stated.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the amendment, the INEC chairman reaffirmed the commission’s full preparedness for the 2027 general elections. He announced plans for a nationwide voter revalidation exercise to ensure the integrity of the voters’ register.
“A credible register of voters remains the bedrock of free, fair and transparent elections. Accordingly, the commission will embark on a nationwide voter revalidation exercise ahead of the 2027 general election,” he said.
Amupitan also urged CSOs to intensify mobilization efforts in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to encourage residents to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the Area Council elections scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026.
“The ongoing PVC distribution in the FCT will end on February 10, 2026, and we do not want anyone to be disenfranchised,” he emphasized.
He further called on civil society to monitor political parties’ conduct, promote peaceful participation, and campaign against hate speech, vote-buying, misinformation, disinformation, and election-related violence.
Preparations for FCT Area Council Polls
Providing an update on preparations for the forthcoming FCT Area Council elections, Amupitan disclosed that 1,680,315 registered voters are expected to participate across 2,822 polling units in the six Area Councils: Abaji, AMAC, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, and Kwali.
A total of 570 candidates will contest for chairmanship, vice-chairmanship, and councillorship positions. The commission has completed recruitment and training of ad hoc staff and is currently configuring Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices for accreditation and result upload to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.
The INEC chairman also confirmed that bye-elections will hold concurrently on February 21, 2026, in the following constituencies:
– Ahoada East II and Khana II State Constituencies (Rivers State)
– Kano Municipal and Ungogo State Constituencies (Kano State)
National Assembly Response
On Tuesday, the Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Mr. Adebayo Balogun, dismissed claims that the National Assembly was deliberately delaying the Electoral Act Amendment Bill. He described the process as procedural rather than political and expressed optimism that harmonisation between the two chambers would be completed soon.
“The Senate is in session, considering the bill. Hopefully, the harmonisation will be completed by next week,” Balogun said.
The ongoing amendment process has been a subject of intense public debate, particularly regarding proposals for mandatory real-time electronic transmission of polling unit results, which many stakeholders view as essential for enhancing transparency and credibility in future elections.
