“We Have Fixed Dates For Five Major Elections Against 2025” – INEC Chairman

By Ayodele Oni

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu, has announced that the commission is working on supplementary provisions as it affects section 65 of the electoral act, 2022, which deals with election results.

Addressing concerns about the interpretation of Section 65 of the Electoral Act 2022 regarding the review of election results, Yakubu assured that the Commission is finalizing supplementary regulations to provide clarity.

Yakubu disclosed this on Tuesday during the second quarterly consultative meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) held at the INEC headquarters in Abuja.

He urged the RECs to intensify efforts in implementing electoral policies and preparing for upcoming elections, stressing that their responsibilities are full-time and not limited to general election periods.

He welcomed newly appointed National Commissioners, Prof Sunday Aja and Abdulrazak Yusuf, as well as six recently sworn-in RECs, four of whom were attending the meeting for the first time.

Highlighting the significance of their roles, the INEC Chairman reminded the RECs that elections and related activities take place year-round and that their effectiveness depends on their commitment and knowledge of the Commission’s policies.

“You do not need an elaborate conference or workshop to build the capacity of your staff.

“You must implement new policies and innovations introduced by the Commission to improve electoral service delivery.”

Yakubu also emphasized the need for RECs to focus on decongesting polling units, cleaning the voters’ register, strengthening stakeholder engagement at the state and local government levels, and improving logistics and election security management.

He announced that the Commission has fixed dates for five major electoral activities within the next year.

These include:Bye-elections in 12 states on August 16, 2025, Anambra Governorship Election on November 8, 2025, FCT Area Council Elections on February 21, 2026.

Others are Ekiti Governorship Election on June 20, 2026 and Osun Governorship Election on August 8, 2026

Yakubu disclosed that activities are already underway in preparation for these polls, including the commencement of political campaigns in Anambra and the publication of the Notice of Election for the Ekiti poll.

On voter registration, the Chairman revealed that the nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) will resume on August 18, 2025, for online pre-registration and on August 25 for in-person registration.

However, in Anambra State, the CVR will begin next week across all 326 wards to ensure compliance with legal requirements ahead of the November governorship election.

“These will be published on our website and other platforms once approved.”