The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states will be held on June 20 and August 8, 2026, respectively.
The announcement was made on Friday by Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman, during the swearing-in ceremony of six newly appointed resident electoral commissioners (RECs) in Abuja.
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Yakubu said the election dates comply with the legal requirement to publish notices of major elections no later than 360 days before the scheduled polls. Accordingly, he disclosed that the commission had approved the full timetable and schedule of activities for both states.
Under the schedule, political parties are to conduct their primaries between November 24 and December 15 2025. The portal for uploading nomination forms will close by 6:00 p.m. on February 9 2026 — a deadline that falls 180 days before the election date.
“The final list of candidates will be published on March 9 2026,” Yakubu said. “Campaigns by political parties in public will begin on March 11 and end 24 hours before election day.”
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He added that the full timetable had been uploaded to INEC’s official website and social media platforms to guide political parties and inform the public.
Yakubu also addressed public concerns about the growing number of pending bye-elections and the delayed resumption of the continuous voter registration (CVR) exercise across the country.
“The number of bye-elections has now risen to 17,” he said. “We are aware of the urgency to commence the CVR, particularly in view of the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra State. We want to assure Nigerians that we are finalising our preparations for both activities, the details of which will soon be made public.”
The chairman reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to adhering to the electoral calendar and ensuring transparency ahead of the 2026 polls.
