Election countdown begins: INEC unveils bold action plan for 2025, 2026 polls

As Nigeria gears up for a critical stretch of elections, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has urged Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) across the country to intensify their commitment to policy implementation, institutional reforms, and stakeholder engagement at state and local levels.

Speaking on Tuesday during the second quarterly consultative meeting with RECs at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, Yakubu emphasised that the responsibilities of RECs extend far beyond the general elections and must be executed proactively and independently.

“You are full-time Commissioners. There are policy and procedural issues already determined by the Commission which you need to implement without prompting from the Headquarters in Abuja,” he declared.

The meeting, which followed a series of consultative sessions with political parties, civil society organisations, the media, and the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), aimed to consolidate INEC’s preparations for five major elections scheduled within the next year.

“We now have RECs in all the States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT),” Yakubu noted, adding that their presence must translate into greater operational leadership.

“You do not need an elaborate conference or workshop to build the capacity of your staff to improve on their knowledge of new policies and practical innovations introduced by the Commission to improve electoral service delivery to Nigerians,” he said.

Highlighting key areas requiring urgent attention, he listed voter access to polling units, the cleanup of the voter register, improved logistics, and effective election security as priority responsibilities for RECs.

“Your role as managers of personnel and resources is critical for success. You can only effectively discharge your responsibilities when you are knowledgeable and committed,” he charged.

The INEC boss also outlined the upcoming elections for which preparations are already underway. These include bye-elections in 12 states on 16th August 2025, the Anambra State Governorship election on 8th November 2025, FCT Area Council elections on 21st February 2026, Ekiti Governorship election on 20th June 2026, and the Osun Governorship election on 8th August 2026.

“The Commission has released the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for these elections and some of the activities have already been carried out,” Yakubu said, noting milestones such as the commencement of campaigns in Anambra, publication of the Notice of Election in Ekiti, and the conclusion of primaries for the FCT.

In furtherance of electoral participation, Yakubu announced the nationwide resumption of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.

The online pre-registration will commence on 18th August, followed by in-person registration from 25th August 2025.

“For Anambra State, the CVR will resume next week and will be held simultaneously in all the 326 Wards,” he stated, explaining that the move is in compliance with the legal requirement to conclude the registration no later than 90 days before the scheduled election.

Turning to a controversial aspect of election administration, Yakubu addressed ongoing concerns over the interpretation of Section 65 of the Electoral Act 2022, which relates to the review of election results.

“The Commission is working on a supplement to the Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections 2022 to provide clarity on the review of declaration and return at elections,” he said.

“As soon as the Commission takes a decision, perhaps as early as this week, the supplementary Regulations and Guidelines will be uploaded to our website and other platforms for public information.”

Welcoming newly sworn-in commissioners, including National Commissioners Professor Sunday Aja and Abdulrazak Yusuf, as well as six new RECs, Yakubu urged the entire team to take the coming elections as both a responsibility and a test of their readiness for the 2027 general elections.