The Independent National Electoral Commission has warned that delays in amending the Electoral Act could affect aspects of the timetable for the 2027 general elections, even as it assured Nigerians of its readiness to conduct the polls.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), raised the concern on Wednesday during the commission’s first quarterly consultative meeting with civil society organisations in Abuja.
Amupitan said the commission had already concluded its election timetable and schedule of activities based on the existing legal framework but noted that any changes arising from the amended Electoral Act could require adjustments.
“While we have made our submissions to the National Assembly, the passage of the amendment may have implications for certain items in our timetable,” he said. “However, for now, the commission has no choice but to operate within the framework of the subsisting Electoral Act.”
He urged the National Assembly to expedite action on the ongoing amendment process to provide clarity ahead of the 2027 polls.
“We seek your support in urging the National Assembly to speed up work on the amendment of the Electoral Act,” the INEC chairman said.
Despite the uncertainty, Amupitan said INEC remained fully prepared for the elections and announced plans for a nationwide voter revalidation exercise ahead of 2027.
“A credible register of voters remains the bedrock of free, fair and transparent elections. Accordingly, the commission will embark on a nationwide voter revalidation exercise ahead of the 2027 general election,” he said.
Turning to ongoing electoral activities, Amupitan called on CSOs to intensify mobilisation efforts in the Federal Capital Territory to ensure residents collect their Permanent Voter Cards ahead of the Area Council elections scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026.
“The ongoing PVC distribution in the FCT will end on February 10, 2026, and we do not want anyone to be disenfranchised,” he said.
He also urged CSOs to monitor political parties’ conduct and promote peaceful participation, warning against hate speech, vote buying, misinformation, disinformation and election-related violence.
Providing an update on preparations for the FCT polls, Amupitan said 1,680,315 registered voters would vote across 2,822 polling units in the six Area Councils of Abaji, AMAC, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali.
He added that 570 candidates would contest chairmanship, vice-chairmanship and councillorship positions, while INEC had concluded recruitment and training of ad hoc staff and was configuring BVAS devices for accreditation and result upload to the IReV portal.
The INEC chairman also confirmed that bye-elections would hold the same day in Ahoada East II and Khana II State Constituencies in Rivers State, as well as Kano Municipal and Ungogo State Constituencies in Kano State.
On Tuesday, the House of Representatives dismissed allegations that the National Assembly was deliberately stalling the consideration and passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, saying the proposed legislation is likely to be harmonised next week.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Mr Adebayo Balogun, said the delay was procedural rather than political, insisting that work on the bill was ongoing in both chambers of the National Assembly.
Speaking exclusively with The PUNCH, Balogun said legislative work on the bill was progressing and expressed optimism that the harmonisation stage would soon be completed.
“The Senate is in session, considering the bill. Hopefully, the harmonisation will be completed by next week,” Balogun said.
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