The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has formally released the Notice of Election and the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 General Elections, fixing Saturday, February 20, 2027, for the Presidential and National Assembly elections and Saturday, March 6, 2027, for the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.
Chairman of the Commission, Joash Amupitan, SAN, announced the dates on Friday, February 13, 2026, during a press conference at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja. He described the release as a major milestone in Nigeria’s democratic process and a constitutional obligation in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Electoral Act, 2022.
According to the INEC Chairman, 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 of the election. He also cited Sections 76(2), 116(2), 132(2) and 178(2) of the Constitution, which stipulate that elections must be conducted not earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days before the expiration of the tenure of the last office holder.
Prof. Amupitan explained that the tenure of the President, Vice President, Governors and Deputy Governors—except in Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Ondo and Osun States—will expire on May 28, 2027, while the National and State Assemblies will stand dissolved on June 8, 2027. He emphasised that only INEC is constitutionally empowered to fix election dates, warning against the spread of misinformation.
The 2027 General Elections will be conducted nationwide for the offices of President and Vice President; Governors and Deputy Governors in eligible states; Members of the Senate; Members of the House of Representatives; and Members of the State Houses of Assembly.
Providing details of the schedule, the INEC Chairman disclosed that party primaries and the resolution of related disputes will take place between May 22 and June 20, 2026. The publication of personal particulars of Presidential and National Assembly candidates will hold on August 4, 2026, while that of Governorship and State Assembly candidates is slated for September 1, 2026.
Campaigns for Presidential and National Assembly elections will commence on September 23, 2026, and end on February 18, 2027. Campaigns for Governorship and State Assembly elections will begin on October 7, 2026, and conclude at midnight on March 4, 2027, in compliance with the legal requirement that campaigns end 24 hours before Election Day.
He further stated that the detailed timetable has been uploaded on the Commission’s website and circulated to all registered political parties and stakeholders. Resident Electoral Commissioners across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory have also been directed to publish the Notice in their respective constituencies.
While acknowledging the ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act by the National Assembly, Prof. Amupitan assured stakeholders that the Commission will continue to operate within the current legal framework to avoid uncertainty.
He advised political parties to adhere strictly to the schedule, conduct peaceful and credible primaries, and uphold internal democracy. He also appealed to candidates, supporters and the electorate to maintain peace throughout the electoral process.
Reaffirming INEC’s commitment to transparency, the Chairman emphasised that the Commission will deepen the deployment of technology, strengthen voter education, clean up the voters’ register and enhance collaboration with security agencies to ensure peaceful elections.
