KEY POINTS
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INEC has fixed Ekiti and Osun governorship elections for June 20 and August 8, 2026, respectively.
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Timetables for primaries, candidate registration, and campaigns have been released.
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INEC warns political parties to strictly adhere to deadlines or risk disqualification.
Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has finalized the electoral calendar for two critical Southwest governorship races, scheduling Ekiti State’s poll for June 20, 2026, and Osun State’s for August 8, 2026.
The announcement, made by INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu during a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, aims to provide clarity amid Nigeria’s complex electoral cycle and follows extensive consultations with security agencies, civil society groups, and political parties.
The commission released a detailed 10-month schedule of activities for both states, emphasizing strict adherence to timelines under the Electoral Act 2022. For Ekiti State—where Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will seek re-election—party primaries are slated for October 20 to November 10, 2025.
Osun State, currently governed by Senator Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), will hold primaries between November 24 and December 15, 2025. AAN TV reports that Yakubu reiterated INEC’s zero-tolerance for primary election manipulations, warning parties: “Any primary conducted outside the approved window will be invalidated, and defaulting parties risk disqualification.”
Key deadlines and security preparations unveiled by INEC
Critical milestones include the publication of final candidate lists: Ekiti’s on January 18, 2026, and Osun’s on March 9, 2026. Campaign periods will officially commence on February 21, 2026, for Ekiti and April 10, 2026, for Osun.
The timetable aligns with constitutional mandates requiring elections 150–120 days before incumbent governors’ terms expire. Notably, both states have experienced contentious elections recently—Osun’s 2022 poll saw litigation over alleged overvoting, while Ekiti’s 2022 race was marred by vote-buying arrests.
INEC confirmed deploying the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and IReV result portal, technologies successfully piloted in 2023.
National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu pledged coordinated security, citing intelligence on potential flashpoints. Voter registration drives will launch in September 2025, targeting 4.2 million combined registered voters across both states. Yakubu urged transparency: “We implore parties to conduct inclusive primaries—the era of impunity in candidate nomination is over.” Opposition parties welcomed the timeline, though Labour Party’s Julius Abure cautioned: “INEC must resist pressure to favor incumbents.”
