The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rescheduled the 2027 general elections, fixing January 16, 2027, for the presidential and National Assembly polls, while governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections will now hold on February 6, 2027.
Independent National Electoral Commission announced the revised timetable in a statement on Thursday by its National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.
The commission had earlier slated the presidential and National Assembly elections for February 20, 2027, and the governorship and state assembly polls for March 6, 2027. However, the schedule was reviewed following the repeal of the Electoral Act, 2022 and the enactment of the Electoral Act, 2026.
Haruna explained that the new law introduced adjustments to statutory timelines governing pre-election and electoral activities, necessitating a realignment of the commission’s earlier timetable to ensure compliance.
According to the revised schedule, party primaries — including the resolution of disputes arising from them — will take place from April 23 to May 30, 2026.
Campaigns for presidential and National Assembly candidates will commence on August 19, 2026, while governorship and state assembly campaigns will begin on September 9, 2026. Campaigns are to end 24 hours before election day, in line with the law.
The commission also announced that the Osun State governorship election, previously scheduled for August 8, 2026, has been moved to August 15, 2026. While some activities concerning the Ekiti and Osun governorship polls have already been conducted, the remaining processes will align strictly with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026.
The 2027 exercise will mark the first time since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999 that a presidential election will be conducted in January. Past presidential elections were held on February 27, 1999; April 19, 2003; April 21, 2007; April 16, 2011; March 28, 2015; and February 23 and 25 in 2019 and 2023, respectively.