The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has issued a revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general elections with the Presidential and National Assembly elections holding on Saturday, January 16, 2027.
INEC also scheduled Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections to take place on Saturday, February 6, 2027.
The revised timetable follows the repeal of the Electoral Act, 2022 and the enactment of the Electoral Act, 2026, which necessitated adjustments to statutory timelines governing pre-election and electoral activities, prompting the Commission to realign the schedule to comply fully with the new legal framework.
Recall that INEC had earlier scheduled the Presidential and National Assembly polls for Saturday, February 20, 2027, and the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections for Saturday, March 6, 2027, in line with the Electoral Act, 2022.
In a statement by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Malam Mohammed Haruna, on Thursday, INEC outlined key milestones in the new schedule, stating that party primaries, including the resolution of disputes arising from them, will commence on April 23, 2026 and end on May 30, 2026.
The Commission further announced that campaigns for Presidential and National Assembly elections will begin on August 19, 2026, while campaigns for Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will commence on September 9, 2026.
It reminded political parties that, as provided by law, all campaigns must end 24 hours before election day and warned that it would strictly enforce compliance with the approved timelines.
In a related development, INEC also rescheduled the Osun State Governorship Election from Saturday, August 8, 2026 to Saturday, August 15, 2026.
The Commission noted that while some activities relating to the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections had already been conducted, all outstanding processes would henceforth be implemented strictly in accordance with the Electoral Act, 2026.
INEC reaffirmed that the revised dates are consistent with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended, and the Electoral Act, 2026, and called on all stakeholders to work together to ensure peaceful, credible and inclusive elections that reflect the sovereign will of the Nigerian people.
