Senate Adjusts Election Notice Timeline Over Ramadan

The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday amended Clause 28 of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, cutting the compulsory notice period for elections from 360 days to 300 days. The decision was taken during clause-by-clause consideration of the revised bill at plenary.

The amendment means the Independent National Electoral Commission can now issue notice of elections not later than 300 days before the date fixed for polls.

Under the revised provision, the commission is required to publish the election date in all states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory and state where nomination papers will be submitted.

The change followed a motion for rescission and recommittal moved by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele.

Lawmakers reviewed the earlier version of the bill after concerns were raised about the possible timing of the 2027 general elections.

Bamidele told the Senate that after the bill was initially passed, a review showed that keeping the 360-day requirement could push the presidential and National Assembly elections into the Ramadan period in 2027. He said this could affect voter participation, election planning and general coordination.

The adjustment allows INEC greater room to fix the 2027 elections between late December 2026 and January 2027.

The commission had earlier announced February 2027 as a tentative date for the polls, a period that would coincide with Ramadan.

This announcement led to consultations between INEC and the leadership of the National Assembly, as well as reactions from some Muslim groups.

During the session, senators also corrected technical errors in the bill. These included issues in the long title and several clauses where cross-references, numbering and internal alignment needed adjustment.

The affected sections covered different operational and administrative aspects of the proposed law.

The Electoral Act Amendment Bill had earlier gone through revisions, including earlier proposals that reduced certain timelines to 180 days in some drafts.

However, the latest amendment focused specifically on reducing the election notice period by 60 days from the original 360 days.

With the new provision, the Senate aims to give INEC more flexibility in planning the 2027 general elections while maintaining a clear legal timeframe for announcing poll dates and managing nominations across the country.