Nigerian Senate Reduces Election Notice to 300 Days

On Tuesday, the Nigerian Senate passed an amendment to the Electoral Act, reducing the statutory notice period for elections from 360 days to 300 days. This change, introduced through the Electoral Act Repeal and Re-enact Bill 2026, aims to provide the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with greater flexibility in scheduling the 2027 general elections, which are set to occur between December 2026 and January 2027.

The amendment was prompted by concerns regarding the potential impact of conducting elections during the Ramadan period on voter turnout and logistical participation. The Senate leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, explained that the decision followed a motion to rescind the previous requirement.

Additionally, the amendment retains a provision for manual backup in the transmission of election results, addressing concerns raised by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe regarding network failures. The Senate ultimately voted 55 in favor and 15 against the retention of this manual backup provision.