The Nigeria’s Senate has amended clause 28(1) of the electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Enactment) Bill 2026, granting the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) greater flexibility to adjust the timetable for general elections.
The move is widely seen as a response to concerns over the scheduling of the 2027 polls.
The amendment follows complaints that the proposed dates for the 2027 general elections may clash with the Ramadan fasting period. Several stakeholders, including former Nigeria’s Vice-President Atiku Abubakar had urged INEC to reconsider the timetable to accommodate affected voters.
The motion for rescission and recommittal of the bill was moved on Tuesday by Senate Leader Bamidele Michael Opeyemi (Ekiti Central) and seconded by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC and Electoral Matters, Senator Simon Lalong (Plateau South).
The revised clause under the ‘Notice of Election’ provision now states that the Commission shall publish notice of election not later than 300 days before the appointed date. This replaces the earlier requirement of 360 days, effectively allowing INEC to adjust election dates when necessary.
INEC had earlier announced that Presidential and National Assembly elections would hold on February 20, 2027, while governorship and state assembly elections were scheduled for March 6, 2027, in line with the previous statutory timeline.
During plenary, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South) called for a division on Clause 60(3), which addresses the transmission of election results. The clause, as amended by the Senate, permits both electronic and manual transmission of results.
Following a vote, 55 senators supported the Senate’s position, while 15 lawmakers voted in favour of adopting the House of Representatives’ version, which proposed mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results.