From Christiana Gokyo, Jos
The Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission has approved adjustments to the timetable and schedule of activities for the conduct of the 2026 local government elections in Plateau State, extending the period for political parties to conduct their primaries.
The commission said the repeal of the Electoral Act 2022 and the enactment of the Electoral Act 2026 necessitated the adjustment to the earlier timetable.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Secretary of the commission, Pam Gyang Davou, and issued to journalists in Jos on Thursday.
The commission had earlier issued a notice of election and released the timetable on September 4, 2025, in compliance with relevant provisions of the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission Law, 2024, and the Electoral Act 2022.
According to the revised schedule, political parties will now conduct their primaries from March 7 to April 7, 2026, replacing the earlier closing date of March 12, 2026.
Davou said the adjustment became necessary following recent changes in the electoral legal framework.
He stated, “The commission approved the extension of the period for political parties to conduct their primaries in order to align the timetable with the provisions of the newly enacted Electoral Act 2026.”
Consequently, the collection of nomination forms by political parties will take place from April 8 to April 10, 2026, while submission of nomination forms to the commission is scheduled for April 13 to April 17, 2026.
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, and councillorship candidates from April 26 to April 30, 2026.
The commission said the list of qualified candidates would be published on May 20, 2026, while appeals by aggrieved aspirants would be received on May 21 and heard on May 22, 2026.
It added that the final list of nominated candidates would be published on June 8, 2026, while political campaigns would officially commence on June 9, 2026.
Other activities in the timetable remain unchanged, including the publication of the official register of voters on July 21, 2026, submission of names of polling agents by political parties on August 12, and publication of the notice of poll on August 17, 2026.
Political campaigns will end at midnight on September 7, 2026, ahead of the elections scheduled to hold in the 17 local government areas of Plateau State on September 9, 2026, between 8am and 3pm.
Davou said the commission remained committed to credible elections in the state.
“PLASIEC reassures political parties, stakeholders and the general public of its commitment to conducting free, fair, credible and inclusive elections in accordance with the law and global best practices,” he said.
He also urged political parties to strictly comply with the revised timetable and guidelines issued for the conduct of the elections.