The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially moved the 2027 presidential and national assembly elections to Saturday, January 16, 2027, while governorship and state assembly elections will now hold on Saturday, February 6, 2027.
The new schedule was announced by Mohammed Haruna, INEC national commissioner and chairman of the information and voter education committee, in a statement released on Thursday. He said the electoral body revised the timetable to comply with the recently enacted Electoral Act, 2026, which introduced adjustments to statutory timelines for pre-election and electoral activities.
Haruna explained that the commission initially scheduled the presidential and national assembly elections for February 20, 2027, and governorship and state assembly polls for March 6, 2027. However, the repeal of the Electoral Act, 2022, and the new provisions under the 2026 Act made it necessary to realign the election dates.
Under the revised timetable, party primaries, including dispute resolution arising from primaries, are scheduled to begin on April 23, 2026, and end on May 30, 2026. Campaigns for presidential and national assembly candidates will start on August 19, 2026, while governorship and state assembly campaigns will begin on September 9, 2026.
Haruna reminded political parties that all campaigns must conclude 24 hours before Election Day, and the commission will enforce strict compliance with the law. He also announced that the Osun State governorship election, previously set for August 8, 2026, has been shifted to August 15, 2026, while remaining activities for both Ekiti and Osun elections will follow the timelines in the Electoral Act, 2026.
The 2027 presidential election will mark the first time INEC is conducting the poll in January since the return of democracy in 1999. Previous 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.
INEC also stated that the full revised timetable and schedule of activities are available on its official website and other communication platforms, providing political parties, candidates, and voters with detailed guidance ahead of the 2027 general elections.
