By our Reporter
The Independent National Electoral Commission has announced that the 2027 Presidential and National Assembly elections will hold on February 20, 2027, with governorship and State Houses of Assembly polls scheduled for March 6, 2027.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed the election timetable at a news conference in Abuja on Friday.
The announcement comes amid growing concerns over the delayed passage of the amended Electoral Act currently before the National Assembly.
INEC had on February 4 indicated that it had completed work on the election timetable and schedule of activities despite the delay.
The commission noted that it had submitted its timetable to lawmakers but cautioned that some items in the schedule of activities could be affected depending on when the amended Electoral Act is eventually passed.
According to the timetable, Presidential and National Assembly elections will hold on Saturday, February 20, 2027, while Governorship and State House of Assembly elections are scheduled for Saturday, March 6, 2027 — two weeks later.
INEC also outlined campaign windows for political parties. Campaigns for the Presidential and National Assembly elections will run from November 18, 2026, to February 19, 2027. Governorship and State Assembly campaigns will begin on December 15, 2026, and end on March 5, 2027 — 24 hours before the elections.
As part of preparations, Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) will commence in April 2026 and close in January 2027, allowing eligible Nigerians time to register or update their details.
Political parties are expected to conduct primaries between July 1 and September 30, 2026. Submission of candidates’ lists to INEC will take place from October 1 to October 31, 2026, while the final list of candidates will be published on November 15, 2026.
