The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed dates for the 2026 governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states. According to INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the elections will hold on Saturday, June 20, 2026, for Ekiti State, and Saturday, August 8, 2026, for Osun State.
Yakubu announced this during the swearing-in ceremony of six newly appointed Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in Abuja on Friday. He also disclosed that arrangements were being finalised to conduct 17 pending bye-elections and resume Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) nationwide.
“For Ekiti State, party primaries will be conducted between October 20 and November 10, 2025,” Yakubu said. “Political parties must upload their nomination forms by December 22, 2025, while the final list of candidates will be published on January 18, 2026. Campaigns will begin on January 21 and end 24 hours before election day.”
In Osun State, party primaries are scheduled for November 24 to December 15, 2025, with nomination forms due by February 9, 2026. The final candidate list will be published on March 9, 2026, while campaigns will commence on March 11 and close a day before the polls.
Yakubu reiterated the Commission’s commitment to adhering strictly to the electoral timetable as mandated by law. “We are under a legal obligation to publish notices of election no later than 360 days before the polls,” he said.
The INEC chairman further revealed the deployment of newly sworn-in RECs to various states: Sa’ad Idris to Gombe, Johnson Sinikiem to Cross River, Feyijimi Ibiyemi to Ogun, Mukhtar Gajiram to Taraba, Chukwuemeka Ibeziako to Abia, and Umar Garba to Sokoto.
Speaking on the significance of their roles, Yakubu said, “As RECs, you are the Commission’s representatives in your respective states. You must operate with integrity and uphold the electoral legal framework.”
He warned that any form of misconduct or defiance of INEC’s rules by the RECs would be met with strict consequences.
Addressing concerns over delays in bye-elections and voter registration, Yakubu assured Nigerians that preparations were in their final stages. “The number of bye-elections has now risen to 17. We are aware of the urgency and will release details shortly,” he stated.
Speaking on behalf of the newly appointed RECs, Idris pledged to uphold the constitution, the Electoral Act, and INEC’s policies in the discharge of their duties.
