Nigeria’s 2027 general elections may hold in November 2026, six months earlier than usual, under a new National Assembly proposal. Lawmakers presented the plan, contained in the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2025, during a joint Senate and House public hearing in Abuja on October 13, 2025.
The amendment aims to replace the 2022 Electoral Act and resolve all election disputes before the May 29, 2027 handover. Lawmakers said this change would prevent post-election cases from dragging into a new administration’s tenure. They also emphasized the need to strengthen the judiciary to handle the surge in election cases.
“In a situation where a rerun is ordered by the Supreme Court at the end of 185 days, can we have vacancy in the office of the President?” the joint committee asked, urging reforms to speed up litigation.
Key updates in the bill include the use of NIN for voter registration, mandatory electronic transmission of results, and inmate and diaspora voting. The proposal removes the need for Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) because voters can now print digital cards through BVAS verification.
Political parties must submit their candidate lists 210 days before elections to ensure INEC recognizes only validly nominated candidates. Lawmakers also plan to amend the 1999 Constitution, transferring the power to set election dates from the Constitution to the Electoral Act for easier adjustments.
Once both chambers pass the bill and President Bola Tinubu signs it into law, INEC will revise its timetable, setting Nigeria up for its earliest general elections in history.
