National Assembly proposes rescheduling of elections to November 2026 in electoral act revision

In preparation for the 2027 general elections, the National Assembly is looking into amending the Electoral Act to shift the dates for presidential and governorship elections from the traditional February or March to November 2026.

This plan is part of the proposed changes to the 2022 Electoral Act, which mandates that these elections occur no later than 185 days before the current officeholder’s term expires on May 29.

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During a public hearing held by the Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Electoral Matters, various stakeholders advocated for the adoption of electronic voting and transmission of results to improve electoral transparency.

As outlined in Section 4(7) of the proposed amendment, “elections for the presidency and governorship in a state shall be conducted no later than 185 days before the end of the preceding officeholder’s term.” Consequently, the forthcoming presidential and governorship elections would take place in November 2026.

Additionally, Section 4(5) mandates that elections for both the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly must also be held at least 185 days prior to their dissolution.

To legally support this adjustment, the joint committee noted that the amendment introduces new subsections (Sections 27 (5–7)) and modifies Sections 76, 116, 132, and 178 of the Constitution, effectively shifting the power to set election schedules from the Constitution to the Electoral Act.