The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially scheduled the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states for June 20 and August 8, 2026, respectively.
This announcement came during the swearing-in ceremony of six newly redeployed Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) at INEC headquarters in Abuja on Friday.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, confirmed the redeployments and election dates while addressing the media. “For Ekiti State, the election will be held on Saturday, 20th June 2026… In the case of Osun State, the election will be held on Saturday, 8th August 2026,” he said.
The RECs redeployed to new states are:
Dr. Sa’ad Idris – Gombe
Dr. Johnson Sinikiem – Cross River
Feyijimi Ibiyemi – Ogun
Mukhtar Gajiram – Taraba
Chukwuemeka Ibeziako – Abia
Umar Garba – Sokoto
Yakubu explained that the redeployments were necessary “to support the commission’s work ahead of upcoming elections.”
On preparations for the Ekiti election, INEC revealed that party primaries will be conducted between October 20 and November 10, 2025, with nomination forms to be uploaded no later than 6:00 pm on December 22, 2025.
The final list of candidates will be published on January 18, 2026, and public campaigns will begin on January 21, ending 24 hours before the election.
For Osun, primaries will run from November 24 to December 15, 2025, and the nomination portal closes on February 9, 2026. The final candidate list will be published on March 9, with campaigns beginning March 11.
The INEC Chairman emphasized compliance with legal requirements, stating that the schedule meets the mandate to publish election notices at least 360 days before the polls.
Yakubu also addressed public concern over pending by-elections and voter registration, disclosing that 17 by-elections are outstanding.
“Preparations for both the Continuous Voter Registration and the by-elections are almost complete, and full details will be announced soon,” he assured.
The full timetable for both governorship elections is now available on INEC’s website and social media platforms.
