The National Assembly announced Sunday that it will reconvene Tuesday, Feb. 17, cutting short its recess amid indications that lawmakers may review the date set for the 2027 presidential election.
A notice signed by National Assembly Clerk Kamoru Ogunlana directed senators and members of the House of Representatives to resume plenary at 11 a.m. “as very crucial decisions shall be taken by each Chamber during the session,” and asked lawmakers to reschedule other engagements accordingly.
Sources within the National Assembly revealed on condition of anonymity that the extraordinary session may focus on reviewing the 2027 presidential election date, which could be shifted from Feb. 20 to Feb. 13.
The session will also continue deliberations on pending bills, committee reports, and the Electoral Act amendment. The Joint National Assembly Conference Committee, tasked with harmonizing differences between the Senate and House versions of the Electoral Amendment Bill, is expected to meet Monday. The reconciled bill will then be sent to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
The proposed amendments to the Electoral Act include provisions for electronic transmission of results. While the Senate approved the system, it stopped short of making real-time uploads compulsory, a key demand of election stakeholders. Under the revised clause, presiding officers at polling units must electronically transmit results to INEC’s IReV portal once voting concludes and documentation is complete. Where electronic transmission fails, the manual Form EC8A will serve as the primary basis for collation.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio urged senators opposed to the amendment to formally challenge it on the floor.
The timing of the 2027 elections has drawn public concern because the current schedule overlaps with Ramadan. INEC initially slated Feb. 20 for the presidential and National Assembly elections and March 6 for governorship and state assembly polls. Muslim advocacy groups and stakeholders, including Muslim Rights Concern, have argued that the dates coincide with the fasting period, limiting participation and engagement.
Former presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and former presidential aide Bashir Ahmad have also called on INEC to reconsider the dates to ensure inclusivity and full participation. INEC said it is consulting stakeholders and may seek legislative intervention if necessary, while maintaining that any adjustment will comply with constitutional and statutory requirements.
Earlier proposals included holding the 2027 polls in November 2026 to ensure all election petitions are resolved before the May 29, 2027, handover. Lawmakers have also suggested shortening timelines for election petitions, reducing tribunal judgments from 180 to 90 days and appellate court decisions from 90 to 60 days, ensuring the entire judicial process does not exceed 185 days. Other proposals include early voting for security personnel, INEC staff, journalists, and accredited observers at least 14 days before election day.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele defended the removal of the “real-time” clause from the Electoral Act amendment, citing poor internet and power infrastructure. He noted that broadband coverage in 2025 was 70% and internet penetration 44.53%, with Nigeria ranking 129th out of 150 countries in fixed broadband speed. He also highlighted that 85 million Nigerians—roughly 43%—lack access to the electricity grid, and generation capacity is limited to 4,500 megawatts delivered to households nationwide.
“By global standards, the real-time electronic transmission of election results may not be practicable at this stage of our development,” Bamidele said, adding that the term was removed to ensure Nigeria’s electoral framework remains workable while still addressing citizens’ concerns.
Observers say Tuesday’s plenary could set the tone for the 2027 elections, including a historic adjustment of the presidential poll date to enhance voter participation among Muslim communities while testing INEC’s capacity to deliver credible elections under a compressed timeline.
