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•Says it may affect 2027 elections •Promises to release newly registered political parties
From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan has warned that the preparations for the 2027 general elections could be affected by the delay in the Electoral Act amendment at the National Assembly.
Amupitan, who made the disclosure at the first quarterly consultative meeting with the civil society organisations in Abuja yesterday, said the delay in the electoral act amendment was contributing to the delay in the release of the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 polls.
His words: “Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022, empowers the Commission to issue a notice of election not later than 360 days before the date of the poll. While the National Assembly is currently working on the amendments to the Electoral Act, the Commission has made its submission as required.
“We are mindful of the growing public interest and anticipation surrounding the release of the timetable and wish to assure political parties and the Nigerian public that the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general election will be released in full compliance with the Constitution of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and the Electoral Act, 2022.
“Having said that, we seek your support in urging the National Assembly to expedite action on the ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act.
“As we look towards the 2027 general elections, it is imperative that we remain vigilant and proactive. We must prepare for a seamless electoral process that embodies the ideals of democracy, justice and inclusivity. This is a collective responsibility and each of you plays a vital role in fostering democracy in Nigeria,” he said.
He also revealed that the Commission would soon release the names of successful political associations that have been registered as political parties after they fulfilled the constitutional and Electoral Act, 2022 requirements.
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While giving an update on the registration of political parties, Amupitan said: “You will recall that the commission received 171 letters of intent from associations seeking registration as political parties.
“The associations were assessed in line with Section 222 of the Constitution of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), Section 79(1), (2) and (4) of the Electoral Act, 2022, as well as Clause 2 of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022.
“Many of the Associations were unable to fulfil the constitutional requirements and the requirements of the Electoral Act, 2022, as well as the Regulations and Guidelines for political parties. The successful association(s) will soon be announced by the commission,” he disclosed.
He equally gave a comprehensive update on the forthcoming Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council election, announcing that only a few sensitive items on the timetable were being awaited.
“The timetable and schedule of activities for the election consist of 13 key activities, 10 of which have already been completed. The remaining activities relate to the publication of the notice of poll, the last day of campaigns and election day itself. Parties are reminded that campaigns end on Thursday, February 19, 2026.
“On our part, non-sensitive materials have been delivered and batched at each Area Council, recruitment and training of ad-hoc personnel have been concluded, Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices are being configured for accreditation and upload of results to the IReV portal, and sensitive materials will be delivered a day before the election.
“There will be a mock accreditation on Saturday, February 7, 2026, in 289 selected polling units (PUs) across the six Area Councils. The selected PUs will be made available on the commission’s website.
“While INEC has deployed specialised resources and targeted sensitisation programmes to empower voters with disabilities and ensure inclusivity, 83 domestic and five foreign observers have been accredited for the polls,” he said.
