- The Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission has revised the timetable for the 2026 local government elections
- The adjustment extends the deadline for political parties to conduct primaries from March 12 to April 7, 2026
- The change followed the repeal of the Electoral Act 2022 and the enactment of the Electoral Act 2026
- The election will take place on September 9, 2026, across the 17 local government areas of Plateau State
The Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) has revised the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2026 local government elections, extending the deadline for political parties to conduct their primaries.
The commission announced the adjustment on Thursday, March 12, in a statement issued by its Secretary, Pam Davou.
According to Davou, the changes were necessitated by the repeal of the Electoral Act 2022 and the enactment of the Electoral Act 2026.
He explained that under the new timetable, political parties will now conduct their primaries between Saturday, March 7 and Tuesday, April 7, 2026, replacing the earlier deadline of March 12, 2026.
Davou added that political parties will collect nomination forms from April 8 to April 10, 2026, while the submission of nomination forms to the commission will take place between April 13 and April 17, 2026.
Under the revised schedule, the commission will publish the list of qualified candidates on May 20, 2026.
Appeals from aggrieved aspirants will be received on May 21 and heard the following day, May 22.
The statement noted that, “The publication of personal particulars of candidates will hold on April 20, 2026, followed by the screening of Chairmanship candidates and their running mates from April 22, to April 25, 2026, and the screening of Councillorship candidates from April 26 to April 30, 2026.
“The final list of nominated candidates will be published on June 8, 2026, while political campaigns will officially commence on June 9, 2026.
“Other key activities in the timetable remain unchanged, including the publication of the official register of voters on July 21, 2026, the submission of names of polling agents by political parties on August 12, 2026, and the publication of the Notice of Poll on August 17, 2026.
“Political campaigns will end at midnight on Monday, September 7, 2026, ahead of the elections scheduled to hold in the seventeen (17) Local Government Areas of Plateau State on Wednesday, September 9, 2026 between 8am and 3pm.”
The commission reassured political parties, stakeholders and residents of its commitment to organising credible, transparent and inclusive local government elections in line with legal provisions and global best practices.