Fresh uncertainty has enveloped Nigeria’s 2027 general elections following delays by the National Assembly in concluding work on amendments to the Electoral Act, raising fears that the polls could either be postponed or conducted under the existing 2022 law.
Anxiety heightened over the weekend after the House of Representatives deferred consideration of the Electoral Act amendment bill and adjourned plenary for two weeks, a move that has alarmed opposition parties and civil society organisations worried about disruptions to the tightly regulated electoral timetable.
Unless lawmakers complete the amendment process within the next three weeks and secure immediate presidential assent, stakeholders warn that the window for meaningful reform ahead of 2027 may close entirely.
While the House paused debate, the Senate last week constituted a seven-member ad hoc committee to harmonise senators’ positions on the bill, with a report expected at plenary. The contrasting pace between both chambers has further fuelled concern that time is slipping away.
Under Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is required to issue a notice of election not later than 360 days before polling day. With the next presidential election expected on February 20, 2027, INEC must issue the notice by February 24, leaving little room for legislative delays.
Even more problematic is a proposed amendment seeking to shift presidential and gubernatorial elections to November 2026—185 days before the expiration of incumbents’ tenure on May 29, 2027. Without an amended law in force, the existing 360-day notice requirement renders the proposed timetable practically unworkable.
At a public hearing in October 2025, lawmakers outlined sweeping reforms aimed at stabilising Nigeria’s electoral calendar. These include holding all elections on a single day, mandatory electronic transmission of results, early voting for security personnel and election officials, diaspora voting, and concluding election disputes before winners are sworn in.
Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Adebayo Balogun, said the reforms were designed to compress litigation timelines and prevent prolonged post-election disputes. Proposed changes would cut tribunal judgment timelines from 180 days to 90 days and mandate early voting not later than 14 days before election day. The draft bill also strengthens penalties for electoral misconduct and enforces electronic transmission of results to INEC’s Result Viewing Portal.
However, the House suspended debate after it emerged that insufficient copies of the bill were available for lawmakers. Speaker Tajudeen Abbas ruled that informed debate required adequate documentation and deferred consideration until copies were provided. The House’s two-week recess for budget defence by ministries and agencies has further pushed electoral reforms down the legislative calendar.
In the Senate, Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the formation of an ad hoc committee chaired by Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire, with 48 hours to harmonise inputs and report back. The committee is expected to fast-track deliberations on the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, 2025.
Proposed amendments include stricter campaign finance controls, tougher penalties for electoral offences, mandatory real-time electronic transmission of results, expanded use of BVAS, clearer rules on candidate withdrawal, tighter regulation of party primaries and harsher sanctions for vote-buying and inducement of delegates.
Despite these provisions, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) accused the APC-dominated National Assembly of deliberately stalling the bill to weaken safeguards ahead of 2027. The party warned that continued delay could trap INEC and opposition parties in legal uncertainty, undermining transparency and public confidence in the polls.
Lawyers and civil society groups echoed similar concerns. The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) warned that late reforms could trigger pre-election litigation and conflicting court interpretations. INEC has also repeatedly stressed that early passage of the Electoral Act is critical for logistics, procurement, training and voter education.
With the House stepping down the bill and the Senate still consulting, uncertainty now looms large over the fate of electoral reforms and the smooth conduct of the 2027 elections. Stakeholders insist that only swift, transparent and bipartisan action by the National Assembly can avert a looming electoral crisis and restore confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process.