Nigeria’s electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has officially released the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 General Election, setting February 20, 2027 for the Presidential and National Assembly elections and March 6, 2027 for Governorship and State Houses of Assembly polls.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Commission said the timeline was issued in strict compliance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and the Electoral Act, 2022, which mandate that elections be conducted not earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days before the expiration of the tenure of elected office holders.
Under the constitutional framework, the tenure of the President, Vice President, Governors and Deputy Governors except those 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.
INEC formally issued the Notice of Election on February 13, 2026, in line with Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022, which requires the notice to be published not later than 360 days before the election.
The Commission scheduled the submission of political parties’ registers of members between April 22 and May 21, 2026, to ensure compliance with statutory provisions. Party primaries, including the resolution of disputes arising from them, are to be conducted from May 22 to June 20, 2026.
According to the timetable, political parties will upload nomination forms (EC9 and EC9A–E) for Presidential and National Assembly candidates from July 14 to July 28, 2026. Governorship and State Assembly nominations will follow from August 11 to August 25, 2026.
The publication of personal particulars of candidates will take place shortly after submissions, while deadlines have also been fixed for candidate withdrawals, replacements, and the release of the final list of nominated candidates.
INEC stated that access codes for the nomination portal will be available at its headquarters from July 13, 2026.
Campaigns for Presidential and National Assembly elections will commence on September 23, 2026, while Governorship and State Assembly campaigns will begin on October 7, 2026.
In accordance with Section 94(1) of the Electoral Act, public campaigns will run until 24 hours before polling day.
Political parties are also expected to submit the names of their polling agents by December 22, 2026 (Presidential/National Assembly) and January 5, 2027 (Governorship/State Assembly).
The official register of voters will be published on January 11, 2027, while the Notice of Poll will be released on January 21, 2027.
The Presidential and National Assembly elections will hold nationwide on February 20, 2027, followed by Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections on March 6, 2027.
The Chairman of the Commission, Professor Joash O. Amupitan, SAN, said the timetable reflects INEC’s commitment to transparency, early preparation, and strict adherence to constitutional and statutory requirements.
With the release of the schedule, political parties, aspirants and stakeholders are now expected to align their preparations with the Commission’s timeline as the country gradually begins the march toward the 2027 general elections.
