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The Senate has amended Clause 28 (1) of the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Enactment) Bill 2026 which gives flexibility to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to tinker with poll timetable.
There have been complaints about the Ramadan fasting clashing with the 2027 general elections.
Many persons, including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, had asked INEC to look into the issue.
On Tuesday, Senate Leader, Bamidele Michael Opeyemi (Ekiti Central) moved a motion titled “Rescission and Re-Committal of the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, 2026, seconded by Chairman, Senate Committee on INEC and Electoral Matters, Sen. Simon Lalong (Plateau South).
The amended clause on ‘Notice of Election’ which states that “The Commission shall, not later than 300 days before the day appointed for holding an election under this Bill, publish a notice in each State of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory” now allows INEC to shift election timetable forward.
The electoral body had on Friday announced that the Presidential and National Assembly elections would be held on February 20, 2027, while the governorship and state assembly polls are scheduled for March 6, 2027 based on the provision of the principal law which provides that “The Commission shall, not later than 360 days before the day appointed for holding an election under this Bill, publish a notice in each State of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory.”
After Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South) called for division the amended Clause 60(3) which permits both electronic and manual transmission of results, a vote was called.
Fifty- five senators voted in favour of the Senate position last week, while 15 lawmakers asked for the adoption of the House of Representatives’ earlier version which permits ‘real-time’ transmission of election results.
