INEC moves Osun campaign deadline to August

Nigeria’s electoral commission (INEC) has announced a new deadline for political campaigning ahead of the Osun state governorship election, after the vote itself was pushed back by a week.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirmed on Thursday that campaigns must now wrap up by midnight on 13 August 2026 — 24 hours before polling day on 15 August. The change follows a decision taken in February, when INEC published a revised timetable for the 2027 General Election and shifted the Osun poll from 8 August to 15 August.

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In a statement, Mohammed Haruna, INEC’s national commissioner for information and voter education, explained the legal basis for the new deadline, pointing to Section 98(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, which requires all campaigning to cease at least 24 hours before an election takes place.
Haruna said the commission was urging all political parties, candidates and stakeholders to abide strictly by the revised schedule, adding that INEC remains committed to delivering elections that are free, fair, credible and open to all eligible voters across the country.