INEC ignores Electoral Act protests, shifts 2027 elections for Ramadan - The Guardian Nigeria News

AI Summary

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced a revision of the 2027 election timetable, moving the presidential and National Assembly vote to 16 January and the governorship and state assembly vote to 6 February to avoid a clash with Ramadan. This decision follows protests from opposition parties who described the newly signed Electoral Act 2026 as anti‑democratic and called on the National Assembly to amend it. INEC cited pressure from Muslim communities as the reason for the schedule change, replacing the earlier dates of 20 February and 6 March that were set under the Electoral Act 2022. The shift may affect campaign timelines and voter mobilisation ahead of the elections. The next step is for parties and candidates to adjust their strategies to the new dates while the call for amendment of the Electoral Act continues.

Reliability

Reported by 9 sources: The Guardian Nigeria, Punch Nigeria, Punch Nigeria, Channels TV, This Day, osun_defender, Arise News, Blueprint, The Nation. Also confirmed by nan. Also confirmed by new_telegraph.