Kano, Rivers, 3 Other Areas INEC Will Conduct Elections in Nigeria in 2026, Full List Emerges
- INEC has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening public confidence in the electoral process as it begins preparations for the 2026 off-cycle elections and the 2027 general elections
- INEC chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, explained that his colleagues are setting a direction to meet the expectations of Nigerians
- Legit.ng gathered that already, INEC cleared a total of 1,680,315 registered voters to participate in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council election scheduled for February 21, 2026
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Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
FCT, Abuja - The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday, February 6, 2026, confirmed that off-cycle governorship elections will be held in Ekiti and Osun states in 2026.
Legit.ng reports that INEC already fixed the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states for Saturday, June 20 and Saturday, August 8, 2026, respectively.
Source: Twitter
In a statement posted on its official X (formerly Twitter) account and seen by Legit.ng, INEC said it has intensified preparations for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council Elections scheduled for February 2026, alongside other key activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.
2026 elections in Nigeria
At Day 3 of its 2026 Regular Stakeholders’ Meeting with the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), INEC chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN), described 2026 as a critical electoral year requiring heightened security coordination, intelligence gathering and inter-agency collaboration to ensure peaceful and credible elections.
INEC disclosed that major preparations for the FCT polls have been concluded, including the delivery of non-sensitive materials, training of electoral and security personnel, configuration of the bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS) devices and a mock accreditation exercise scheduled for Saturday, February 7, 2026.
INEC prepares for 2026 elections
INEC's statement reads:
"Beyond the FCT elections, the Commission will conduct bye-elections in Rivers and Kano States, off-cycle governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun States, and a nationwide voter revalidation exercise to strengthen the electoral process ahead of 2027."
It added via X:
"The National Security Adviser and ICCES co-Chair, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, represented by Abdullahi Hassan, Director of Internal Security commended security agencies for their professionalism during the Anambra governorship election and assured Nigerians of robust security deployment for all upcoming elections.
"Similarly, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, represented by CP Abayomi Shogunle, reaffirmed that the Nigeria Police Force will deploy massively for all elections and continue to provide round-the-clock protection for INEC personnel, facilities and materials nationwide."
Source: Twitter
2026 elections in Nigeria are highlighted below:
- 2026 Federal Capital Territory local elections
- Bye-elections in Rivers
- Kano bye-elections
- 2026 Ekiti State gubernatorial election
- 2026 Osun State governorship poll
Read more on INEC:
- John Mahama’s victory: INEC chairman mentions what Ghana learned from Nigeria
- Ballot boxes destroyed as fire razes INEC office in Delta
- 715 INEC offices moved out of LG secretariats, chairman Yakubu speaks
INEC speaks on diaspora voting
Legit.ng earlier reported that ahead of the 2027 general elections in Nigeria, the INEC chairman said there are recommendations in support of diaspora voting.
The INEC boss spoke at a meeting with the resident electoral commissioners (RECs).
Diaspora voting allows non-resident Nigerians to vote and choose who leads the West African country.
Source: Legit.ng
