By Ayomide Otitoju
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the dates for the 2026 governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun States. The elections are scheduled for Saturday, June 20, 2026, in Ekiti, and Saturday, August 8, 2026, in Osun.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this on Friday during the swearing-in ceremony of six newly appointed Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), recently confirmed by the National Assembly.
Providing a breakdown of the election timelines, Yakubu stated that political parties in Ekiti State will conduct their primaries between October 20 and November 10, 2025. Parties are expected to upload their nomination forms on INEC’s dedicated portal, which will automatically shut down by 6:00 p.m. on December 22, 2025 — a deadline set at 180 days before the election. The final list of candidates will be published on January 18, 2026, while public campaigning will commence on January 21 and conclude 24 hours before election day.
For Osun State, party primaries will take place from November 24 to December 15, 2025. The deadline for uploading nomination forms is February 9, 2026. INEC will release the final list of candidates on March 9, 2026, with public campaigns to run from March 11 until 24 hours before the August 8 poll.
“The detailed Timetable and Schedule of Activities for both elections have been uploaded to our website and social media platforms for the guidance of political parties and public information,” Yakubu stated.
Addressing concerns from the public, the INEC Chairman acknowledged the growing demand for the resumption of Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) and the conduct of pending bye-elections across the country.
“The number of bye-elections has now risen to 17. 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,” Yakubu said.
He added that the Commission is also concluding arrangements for bye-elections to fill vacant seats in both the National and State Houses of Assembly.
