Leaders of major opposition parties have launched a strong attack on the newly signed Electoral Act 2026, describing it as anti-democratic and calling on the National Assembly to immediately begin a fresh amendment process.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has revised its timetable for the 2027 general elections to align with adjustments introduced in the new law, which repeals the Electoral Act 2022.Bowing to concerns from Muslim faithful over a clash between the earlier election dates and Ramadan, INEC has rescheduled the 2027 general elections.
Presidential and National Assembly elections will now hold on January 16, 2027, while Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections have been fixed for February 6, 2027.
The commission had earlier scheduled the Presidential and National Assembly elections for February 20, 2027, and Governorship and State Assembly polls for March 6, 2027 under the 2022 Act.
In a statement issued in Abuja, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, said the enactment of the Electoral Act 2026 necessitated a realignment of statutory timelines governing pre-election and electoral activities.
He also announced that the Osun Governorship election, previously slated for August 8, 2026, has been shifted to August 15, 2026.
According to INEC, party primaries and dispute resolution will run from April 23 to May 30, 2026. Campaigns for Presidential and National Assembly elections will begin on August 19, 2026, while Governorship and State Assembly campaigns will commence on September 9, 2026.
The commission stated that the revised schedule complies with the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Electoral Act 2026.Opposition figures, including leaders from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party(NNPP), alleged that the new electoral framework was rushed to favour the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 polls.
At a press conference in Abuja attended by prominent political figures, NNPP National Chairman Ajuji Ahmed described the Act as anti-democratic, urging lawmakers to remove what he called objectionable provisions.
Under the new law, political parties are restricted to direct primaries or consensus arrangements, eliminating indirect primaries previously allowed under the 2022 Act. The legislation also shortens campaign periods and reduces the timeframe for INEC funding from 12 months to six months before elections.
Opposition leaders criticised a provision in Section 60(3), which they said grants wide discretionary powers to presiding officers and could undermine electronic transmission of results. They argued that this could be exploited to delay uploads to INEC’s Results Viewing Portal (IReV) under the pretext of network failure.
They cited past assurances from former INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, that the BVAS system operates largely offline with high success rates, maintaining that network challenges should not invalidate electronic transmission.
The opposition also pointed to low voter turnout in recent Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections as evidence of declining public trust in the electoral system.President Bola Ahmed Tinubu dismissed allegations that his administration is undermining opposition parties.
Speaking during an interfaith Iftar with senators at the Presidential Villa, Tinubu said critics were entitled to their opinions but denied any wrongdoing.
“Critics must talk. When they accused me of killing the opposition, I didn’t have a gun. I could have given myself a licence when I have the authority,” he said.
He urged political leaders to prioritise unity, stressing that terrorism and banditry remain significant national challenges requiring collective effort.In a related development, the Southwest caucus of the ADC declared readiness for the upcoming governorship elections in Osun and Ekiti states.
In a statement signed by the party’s National Director of Communication and Programmes, Dr Babatunde Oke, the caucus reaffirmed its commitment to aggressive mobilisation and expansion of its support base across the region.INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), also called for stronger collaboration with the United Nations to improve the credibility and inclusiveness of elections in Nigeria.
Receiving the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohammed Fall, and UNDP Resident Representative, Ms Elsie Attafuah, in Abuja, Amupitan emphasised the need for enhanced voter education to address apathy and rebuild public trust.
He highlighted ongoing technological reforms, including improvements to the IReV portal and efforts to clean up the voters’ register by removing deceased persons and duplicate entries.
“Our hope and aspiration is that every election we conduct will be better than the last one,” Amupitan said.
The UN officials reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Nigeria’s democratic process, noting the global attention on the country’s electoral journey.
