The Independent National Electoral Commission has dismissed reports claiming that it has released the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general election, describing the information as false and misleading.
The commission, in a statement issued on Friday night in Abuja, said no official timetable has been announced for the polls, urging Nigerians and the media to disregard the reports circulating in some quarters.
The statement, signed by the Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Mr Adedayo Oketola, clarified that the electoral body had not issued any election timetable or schedule of activities for the 2027 general election.
INEC explained that while it had previously outlined projected election dates in one of its policy documents, such projections should not be mistaken for an official timetable.
Recall that under the leadership of its outgoing Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the commission presented two publications to the public — Election Management in Nigeria, 2015–2025 and Innovations in Electoral Technology, 2015–2025.
The former reviewed the commission’s activities over a decade and also proposed a long-term election cycle for Nigeria.
In the document, INEC proposed a permanent election schedule, with presidential and National Assembly elections holding on the third Saturday of February, while governorship and state assembly elections would follow two weeks later.
Based on that projection, the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections were tentatively mapped for February 20, with governorship and state assembly elections slated for March 6.
Similar dates were outlined for subsequent election years up to 2063.
However, INEC stressed that these projections do not amount to an official timetable for the 2027 polls.
The commission assured Nigerians that the official timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general election would be released at the appropriate time and strictly in line with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and the Electoral Act, 2022.
INEC cited Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act, which mandates the commission to publish a notice of election not later than 360 days before the date appointed for a general election.
It added that any timetable or schedule released outside this legal framework could not have emanated from the commission.
The electoral body therefore urged the public to rely only on information from its official and verified communication channels for accurate and authoritative updates on the 2027 general election.
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