The 2027 General Election schedule has been updated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), moving ahead the National Assembly and presidential elections.
Elections for the National Assembly and President will take place on Saturday, January 16, 2027, according to the revised schedule.
On Saturday, February 6, 2027, elections will be held for the governorship and state houses of assembly.
Prof. Joash Amupitan, the chairman of INEC, signed the updated schedule, which was released in Abuja on Thursday.
Prior to this, INEC scheduled state elections on March 6, 2027, and national elections for February 20, 2027.
In accordance with the Electoral Act of 2022, the earlier dates were declared in February.
According to Malam Mohammed Haruna, the change came about as a result of the Electoral Act of 2022 being repealed and the Electoral Act of 2026 being passed.
The new law changed important statutory timelines, according to Haruna, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information Committee.
He claimed that in order to guarantee complete adherence to the new legal framework, INEC examined and restructured its operations.
In light of this, the Commission has decided that Saturday, January 16, 2027, will now be the date of the presidential and national assembly elections.
Elections for the State Houses of Assembly and the Governorship will now take place on Saturday, February 6, 2027, he announced.
Party primaries, including dispute resolution, will start on April 23 and extend until May 30, 2026, according to Haruna.
Party membership registrations would be submitted between April 1 and April 21, 2026, he stated.
Candidates for the National Assembly and the presidency may submit their nomination forms between June 27 and July 11, 2026.
The nomination period for the State Assembly and the governorship is July 18–August 8, 2026.
On August 1, 2026, INEC will release the details of the national candidates that have been nominated.
On August 29, 2026, the state candidates’ specifics will be released.
August 22, 2026 is the deadline for national candidates to withdraw or be replaced.
The withdrawal deadline for State Assembly and governorship elections is September 19, 2026.
On September 12, 2026, the final list of national candidates will be released.
On October 10, 2026, the final list of state candidates will be made public.
The National Assembly and Presidential campaigns will start on August 19, 2026.
Campaigns for the State Houses of Assembly and the Governorship will start on September 9, 2026.
“Campaigns will conclude 24 hours prior to election day, as stipulated by law,” he stated.
Haruna warned that INEC would enforce adherence to the timeline and urged political parties to do the same.
He stated that INEC’s official website and other communication channels had the updated schedule.
The Osun Governorship Election was also rescheduled by INEC from August 8 to August 15, 2026.
The commission observes that considerable preparations have already been made for the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections.
But now, Haruna stated, “the remaining activities will be carried out strictly in accordance with the Electoral Act, 2026.”
According to him, the updated dates aligned with the 1999 Constitution in its altered form.
“The successful conduct of the elections is a collective responsibility,” Haruna said.
He urged all parties involved to work together to guarantee inclusive, credible, and peaceful elections that represent Nigerians’ sovereign will.
