Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the National Assembly has proposed that presidential and governorship polls be conducted in November 2026, instead of the traditional February or March of the election year.

The proposal is contained in the draft amendments to the Electoral Act 2022, which were discussed on Monday during a one-day public hearing organised by the Joint Committee on Electoral Matters, chaired by Senator Simon Lalong (APC, Plateau South).

According to Section 4(7) of the proposed amendment, “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.”

With the current administration’s tenure ending on May 29, 2027, this adjustment would place the next presidential and governorship elections in November 2026, as 185 days before the terminal date falls within that month.

Similarly, the amendment to Section 4(5) stipulates that elections into the National and State Assemblies “shall be held not later than 185 days before the date on which each of the Houses stands dissolved.”

Lawmakers explained that the new timeline aims to provide ample time for the conclusion of all election disputes before winners are sworn in.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Hon. Adebayo Balogun, said the proposal was designed to prevent situations where court cases linger long after newly elected officials have assumed office.

“We are proposing that all election litigations be concluded before the swearing-in of declared winners,” Balogun stated.
“To achieve this, we recommend reducing the 180 days currently allowed for tribunal judgments to 90 days, while appellate and Supreme Court decisions should each take no more than 60 days — all within the 185-day window before inauguration.”

He added that corresponding amendments to Sections 285 and 139 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) would be required to align with the new election schedule.

At the public hearing, several stakeholders, including representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) led by Prof. Abdullahi Zuru, expressed support for the introduction of electronic voting and electronic transmission of results as measures to strengthen transparency and public trust.

Under Section 60(5) of the proposed amendment, presiding officers would be mandated to transmit election results both electronically and manually. Non-compliance would attract penalties of up to one year imprisonment, a ₦1 million fine, or both.

The amendment also introduces early voting, allowing eligible groups such as security personnel, INEC staff, accredited journalists, election observers, and ad hoc officials to cast their ballots up to 14 days before election day.

Furthermore, the joint committee proposed removing election timelines from the Constitution and placing them within the Electoral Act, a move lawmakers say would allow greater flexibility for future adjustments.

“Section 28, now renumbered as Section 27(5–7), has been introduced to reflect this change and unlock the constitutional restrictions on election timelines,” the committee’s document noted.

Stakeholders at the hearing broadly endorsed the proposed reforms, describing them as timely steps toward enhancing electoral credibility, strengthening institutional efficiency, and ensuring that post-election litigations no longer overlap with new tenures.