BREAKING: INEC announces new 2027 election timetable, Presidential poll to hold January 16

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has overhauled the timetable for the next general elections, moving the Presidential and National Assembly polls forward to January 16, 2027.

The adjustment follows the repeal of the Electoral Act 2022 and the enactment of the Electoral Act 2026, which has altered the statutory timelines guiding the conduct of elections in Nigeria.

In a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, said the commission reviewed the earlier schedule to ensure compliance with the new legal framework.

Under the revised timetable, the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will now be held on February 6, 2027.

The new dates mark a departure from the earlier schedule which had fixed the presidential and National Assembly elections for February and the state-level polls for March.

The shift has also affected off-cycle elections. INEC announced that the Osun State governorship election earlier scheduled for August 8, 2026, will now hold on August 15, 2026. The commission added that while some preparatory activities for the Ekiti and Osun elections had already been completed, outstanding processes would be implemented in line with the Electoral Act 2026.

According to the timetable, political parties are expected to conduct their primaries, including the resolution of disputes, between April 23 and May 30, 2026.

Campaigns for the Presidential and National Assembly elections will commence on August 19, 2026, while Governorship and State Assembly campaigns will begin on September 9, 2026.

Haruna urged political parties to strictly comply with the new timelines, stressing that the commission would enforce the provisions of the law.

He also noted that campaigns must end 24 hours before election day as required by the Electoral Act 2026.

INEC stated that the revised schedule is consistent with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and the Electoral Act 2026, while calling on stakeholders to cooperate in ensuring peaceful, credible and inclusive elections.