The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed Saturday, February 20th, 2027, for the 2027 Presidential and National Assembly elections.
INEC also fixed Saturday, March 6th, 2027, for the Governorship and State Houses of
Assembly elections.
INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan announced these dates on Friday at a press conference in Abuja where he formally released the Notice of Election, the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 General Elections.
He said the release timetable is a
significant milestone in Nigeria’s
democratic journey and a
constitutional obligation in line
with the provisions of the 1999
Constitution (as amended) and
the Electoral Act, 2022.
Pro. Amupitan stated that the
action was taken pursuant to
Section 28(1) of the Electoral
Act, 2022, which mandates the
Commission to publish the Notice
of Election not later than 360 days
before the date appointed for the
election. He also cited Sections
76(2), 116(2), 132(2) and 178(2)
of the Constitution, which provide that elections shall be held not
earlier than 150 days and not later
than 30 days before the expiration
of the tenure of the last holder of
the office.
INEC Chairman explained that the tenure of the incumbent President, Vice President,
Governors and Deputy Governors,
except in Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo,
Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Ondo and Osun
States, will expire on 28th May
2027, while the National and State
Assemblies will stand dissolved on
8th June 2027.
He noted that the Commission
had, in recent weeks, countered
misleading information regarding
the dates and schedule of activities
for the 2027 General Election,
stressing that only INEC is
constitutionally empowered to
fix election dates and release the
timetable.
The 2027 General Elections
will be conducted nationwide for
the offices of President and Vice
President of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria; Governors and Deputy
Governors in the states where
elections are due; Members of the
Senate; Members of the House of
Representatives; and Members of
the State Houses of Assembly.
Giving details of the Timetable
and Schedule of Activities, Prof.
Amupitan said party primaries,
including the resolution of disputes
arising from the primaries, will
hold between 22nd May 2026 and
20th June 2026.
The publication of Personal
Particulars of candidates (Form
EC9) by the Commission will
take place on 4th August 2026
for Presidential and National
Assembly candidates, while that of
Governorship and State Houses of
Assembly candidates is scheduled
for 1st September 2026.
Campaigns by political parties in public will
commence on 23rd September 2026 for Presidential and National
Assembly elections and end on
18th February 2027.
Campaigns for Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will begin on
7th October 2026 and conclude at
midnight on 4th March 2027, in
compliance with the requirement
that campaigns end 24 hours before
Election Day.
He disclosed that the detailed
Timetable and Schedule of
Activities have been uploaded to
the Commission’s official website
and circulated to all registered
political parties and relevant
stakeholders. The 36 Resident
Electoral Commissioners and that
of the FCT have also been directed
to publish the Notice in each
constituency where an election is
to be held.
While acknowledging the
ongoing amendment of the
Electoral Act, 2022 by the National
Assembly, the INEC Chairman
assured stakeholders that the
Commission remains committed
to acting within the existing
legal framework. He noted that
although the Commission is open
to reforms that will strengthen the
electoral process, it must proceed
in accordance with the current law
to avoid uncertainty and logistical
challenges.
Prof. Amupitan advised
political parties to strictly adhere
to the timelines contained in the
Schedule of Activities, warning that
the Commission will not hesitate to
enforce compliance with the law.
He called on parties to conduct
peaceful and credible primaries,
shun violence and inflammatory
rhetoric, and uphold internal
democracy. He equally appealed
to candidates, supporters and the
electorate to conduct themselves
peacefully throughout the electoral
cycle.
Reaffirming the Commission’s
commitment to deepening the
deployment of technology to
enhance transparency, ensuring the
continuous cleaning and updating
of the National Register of Voters,
strengthening engagement with
security agencies to guarantee
peaceful elections, and expanding
voter education and stakeholder
collaboration, the Chairman
emphasised that INEC remains an
independent body guided solely by
the Constitution, the Electoral Act
and its Regulations and Guidelines.
He described the success of
the 2027 General Elections as a
collective responsibility, urging
government institutions, security
agencies, the media, civil society
organisations and all Nigerians to
play their respective roles. Assuring
Nigerians of the Commission’s
preparedness, Prof. Amupitan
formally released the Notice of
Election and the Timetable and
Schedule of Activities, pledging
that INEC will deliver elections
that reflect the sovereign will of the
people.
Meanwhile, the Commission has
clarified that the transmission of
election results in the 2027 General
Elections will be conducted
strictly in accordance with the
Constitution, the Electoral Act,
2022 and the Commission’s
Regulations and Guidelines.
Prof. Amupitan, made the
clarification while responding to
questions from journalists during
a press conference, following the
release of the Notice of Election
and Timetable and Schedule of
Activities for the 2027 General
Elections.
Responding specifically
to concerns about electronic
transmission of results, the INEC
Chairman explained that the
Commission remains committed to
transparency in result management
and will continue to deploy
technology as provided by law.
He noted that the process of result
transmission is clearly defined
within the existing legal framework
and that the Commission will
operate within those parameters.
Prof. Amupitan stated that the
upload of polling unit results to
the INEC Result Viewing Portal
(IReV) will continue as part of
the Commission’s transparency
measures, enabling stakeholders
and the public to view results in
real time as they are uploaded from
the polling units.
He emphasised that this initiative
has significantly enhanced public
confidence and will remain an
important component of the 2027
electoral process.
He further explained that the
Commission’s technological
systems are designed with multiple
safeguards to ensure the integrity,
authenticity and security of results.
According to him, INEC has
continued to review and strengthen
its operational procedures to
address technical challenges
experienced in previous elections,
ensuring improved performance
and reliability.
The Chairman stressed that while
technology enhances transparency,
the collation and declaration of
results will continue to follow the
procedure prescribed by law. He
reaffirmed that the Commission’s
actions will be guided solely by
statutory provisions and judicial
pronouncements where applicable.
Prof. Amupitan dismissed insinuations suggesting uncertainty in INEC’s position on transmission, maintaining that the
Commission has been consistent
in its adherence to the law. He assured Nigerians that there will be no deviation from established legal and procedural standards.
The INEC Chairman assured Nigerians that INEC is fully prepared to conduct elections
that are transparent, credible and reflective of the sovereign will of the people in 2027.