2027: NASS proposes November 2026 for presidential, governorship elections

— Seeks decision of predetermination litigations earlier swearing-in

— Stakeholders request physics voting, transmission of results

By Henry Umoru, Abuja

ABUJA — Ahead of the 2027 wide elections, the National Assembly has projected that statesmanlike and governorship elections beryllium conducted successful November 2026, alternatively of the accustomed February oregon March of the predetermination year.

The connection is contained successful the draught amendments to the Electoral Act 2022, which were discussed connected Monday during a one-day nationalist proceeding held by the Joint Committee connected Electoral Matters, chaired by Senator Simon Lalong (APC, Plateau South).

According to Section 4(7) of the projected amendment, “Elections into the bureau of the President and Governor of a State shall beryllium held not aboriginal than 185 days earlier the expiration of the word of bureau of the past holder of the office.”

With the expiration of the existent medication fixed for May 29, 2027, this means that the adjacent statesmanlike and governorship elections would instrumentality spot astir November 2026, arsenic 185 days earlier May 29 falls wrong that month.

Similarly, the connection for national and authorities legislative elections nether Section 4(5) states that specified polls “shall beryllium held not aboriginal than 185 days earlier the day connected which each of the Houses stands dissolved.”

Lawmakers accidental the amendment aims to let capable clip for the solution of predetermination disputes earlier winners are sworn in.

Explaining further, the Chairman of the House Committee connected Electoral Matters, Hon. Adebayo Balogun, said the amendment would assistance forestall situations wherever tribunal cases linger aft winners presume office.

“We are proposing that each predetermination litigations beryllium concluded earlier the swearing-in of declared winners,” Balogun said.

“To execute this, we are recommending that the existent 180 days allowed for tribunal judgments beryllium reduced to 90 days, portion appellate and Supreme Court decisions should each instrumentality nary much than 60 days — each wrong 185 days earlier inauguration.”

He added that the connection would besides necessitate corresponding amendments to Sections 285 and 139 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to align with the caller timeline.

At the nationalist hearing, respective stakeholders — including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) represented by Prof. Abdullahi Zuru — backed the propulsion for physics voting and physics transmission of results to heighten transparency.

Under Section 60(5) of the projected amendment, the instrumentality would marque it mandatory for presiding officers to transmit results some electronically and manually. Failure to comply would pull a punishment of one-year imprisonment, a ₦1 cardinal fine, oregon both.

The projected amendments besides present aboriginal voting, allowing definite categories of Nigerians — specified arsenic information personnel, INEC officials, accredited journalists, observers, and ad-hoc unit — to ballot up to 14 days earlier predetermination day.

The associated committee’s papers besides proposes the removal of predetermination timelines from the Constitution and their inclusion successful the Electoral Act, to marque aboriginal adjustments much flexible.

“Section 28, present renumbered arsenic Section 27(5–7), was introduced to bespeak this alteration and unlock the law restrictions connected predetermination timelines,” the papers stated.

Stakeholders astatine the proceeding broadly endorsed the reforms, describing them arsenic timely steps toward improving Nigeria’s electoral credibility, strengthening organization efficiency, and ensuring that post-election litigations nary longer overlap with caller tenures.

The station 2027: NASS proposes November 2026 for presidential, governorship elections appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.