…Governorship, State Assembly Elections to Hold February 6
Zainab Abioye
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rescheduled the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections to January 16, 2027, marking a historic shift in Nigeria’s electoral calendar.
The commission also fixed February 6, 2027, for the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections.
INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, disclosed the new dates in a statement issued on Thursday, explaining that the adjustment followed the repeal of the Electoral Act, 2022 and the enactment of the Electoral Act, 2026.
The electoral umpire had earlier scheduled the presidential and National Assembly polls for February 20, 2027, and the governorship and state assembly elections for March 6, 2027.
However, Haruna said the new law introduced changes to statutory timelines governing pre-election and electoral activities, necessitating a review of the timetable.
According to him, party primaries, including the resolution of disputes arising from them, will commence on April 23, 2026, and conclude on May 30, 2026.
Campaigns for presidential and National Assembly elections are to begin on August 19, 2026, while governorship and state assembly campaigns will start on September 9, 2026.
“As provided by law, campaigns shall end 24 hours before Election Day. Political parties are strongly advised to adhere strictly to these timelines. The Commission will enforce compliance with the law,” Haruna stated.
He added that the revised timetable and schedule of activities have been published on INEC’s official platforms.
Osun Poll Shifted
INEC also announced a slight adjustment to the Osun State governorship election earlier slated for August 8, 2026. The poll will now hold on August 15, 2026.
Haruna noted that while some activities for the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections had already been conducted, the remaining processes would strictly comply with the Electoral Act, 2026.
The January 16, 2027 presidential poll will be the first time Nigeria conducts a presidential election in January since the country’s return to democratic rule in 1999.
Since then, presidential elections have traditionally been held between February and April — February 27 in 1999; April 19 in 2003; April 21 in 2007; April 16 in 2011; March 28 in 2015; and February 23 and 25 in 2019 and 2023 respectively.
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