INEC Sets Dates for 2026 Ekiti, Osun Governorship Elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially scheduled the 2026 governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states for Saturday, June 20 and Saturday, August 8, respectively.

INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, made the announcement on Friday during the swearing-in ceremony of six newly appointed Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) recently confirmed by the National Assembly.

According to Yakubu, political parties vying in the Ekiti State governorship race are to conduct their primaries between October 20 and November 10, 2025. The deadline for uploading nomination forms is 6:00 p.m. on December 22, 2025—no later than 180 days before the election date. The final list of candidates will be published on January 18, 2026, with political campaigns commencing three days later, on January 21, and ending 24 hours before the election.

For Osun State, party primaries are to begin on November 24 and end on December 15, 2025. Political parties must upload their nomination forms before 6:00 p.m. on February 9, 2026. INEC will release the final list of candidates on March 9, 2026, while campaigns will begin on March 11 and wrap up a day before the polls.

Yakubu noted that the full Timetable and Schedule of Activities for both elections have been published on the commission’s official website and social media platforms to guide political stakeholders and inform the public.

Addressing other electoral matters, Yakubu said the Commission is concluding plans for 17 pending bye-elections to fill vacant seats in both the National and State Assemblies. He also assured Nigerians that preparations for the resumption of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR)
nationwide—especially ahead of the Anambra governorship election—are in their final stages, with details to be announced soon.