2027 Elections: INEC Fixes December 15 For Final Voters’ Register, Rules Out Poll Shift

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has ruled out any change to the timetable for the 2027 general elections, insisting that the polls will hold as scheduled.

The Commission also fixed December 15, 2026, for the certification and publication of the final register of voters ahead of the elections.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Saturday during an interactive meeting with commission officials and Resident Electoral Commissioners from the six South-South states in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Amupitan said the Commission’s statutory timeline for conducting the elections was fixed and would not be altered without lawful justification.

“Our statutory timeline is fixed. We will not change anything. The election must be held as scheduled,” he said.

His position comes amid claims by some political parties that the 2027 general elections could be postponed.

The INEC chairman reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to conducting peaceful, transparent and credible elections in accordance with the law.

On the voters’ register, Amupitan disclosed that the Commission had received more than 5,000 requests for corrections, including changes to names and dates of birth, as well as over 600 objections during the public display of the preliminary register.

He said INEC was processing the submissions to address discrepancies before certifying and publishing the final register on December 15.

The Commission had made the preliminary voters’ register available online and at designated locations to enable registered voters to verify their details and raise objections where necessary.

Amupitan also revealed that INEC had initially considered conducting a fresh revalidation exercise for the voters’ register after he assumed office but abandoned the proposal because of concerns that it would be too close to the general elections.

He expressed confidence in the Commission’s preparedness, citing lessons from recent off-cycle governorship elections, particularly the Osun State governorship poll.

The chairman said the experience gained from those elections would help INEC improve its preparations for the 2027 general elections.

He also identified Rivers State as a priority area in the South-South region because of its large voting population.

According to figures presented by the commission, Rivers has 3,736,434 registered voters, followed by Delta with 3,525,988; Edo with 2,865,263; Akwa Ibom with 2,566,198; Cross River with 1,928,978; and Bayelsa with 1,200,691.

The six states have a combined 15,823,550 registered voters.

Amupitan urged electoral officials to ensure that no eligible voter was disenfranchised because of operational failures.

He also said INEC was working with security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services, to protect voters, electoral personnel and election materials during the polls.

The chairman warned that electoral officials and ad hoc staff, including members of the National Youth Service Corps, who attempted to compromise the electoral process would face the consequences of the law.

The 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are slated for February 6, 2027.