INEC reschedules 2027 General Elections: Presidential poll to hold in January for the 1st time since 1999

In a historic shift, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced new dates for the 2027 general elections, scheduling the presidential poll in January for the first time since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999.

The presidential and National Assembly elections will now be held on Saturday, January 16, 2027, while the governorship and state houses of assembly elections will take place on Saturday, February 6, 2027.

Mohammed Haruna, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, announced the revised timetable in a statement on Thursday. The elections were originally scheduled for February 20 and March 6, 2027, respectively.

Haruna explained that the schedule adjustment was necessary to comply with the newly enacted Electoral Act, 2026, which replaced the 2022 Act and introduced new statutory timelines for pre-election activities.

Under the realigned schedule, political parties will hold their primaries and resolve arising disputes between April 23 and May 30, 2026. Campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly elections will officially kick off on August 19, 2026, followed by the governorship and state assembly campaigns on September 9, 2026. As mandated by law, all campaign activities will end 24 hours prior to election day.

“Political parties are strongly advised to adhere strictly to these timelines. The Commission will enforce compliance with the law,” Haruna warned.

Additionally, the commission announced a slight adjustment to the off-cycle Osun State governorship election, moving it from August 8 to August 15, 2026. Haruna noted that while some activities for the upcoming Ekiti and Osun elections have already taken place, all remaining processes will strictly follow the new 2026 legal framework.

The full, revised timetable for the 2027 general elections is now available on INEC’s official website.