By Ibrahim Kegbegbe
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced a sweeping revision of Nigeria’s electoral calendar, shifting the 2027 Presidential and National Assembly elections to January 16, 2027.
The development follows the repeal of the Electoral Act 2022 and the signing into law of the new Electoral Act 2026, which introduced significant changes to statutory election timelines nationwide.
In a statement issued Thursday night in Abuja, INEC said the new legislation compelled the Commission to review its earlier timetable to align fully with the updated legal framework.
National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Malam Mohammed Kudu Haruna, explained that the Commission had undertaken a comprehensive adjustment of the electoral schedule to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
According to the revised timetable, Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will now be conducted on Saturday, February 6, 2027 — marking a departure from the earlier schedule that placed the presidential election in late February and state elections in March.
The reshuffle has also affected off-cycle elections. INEC confirmed that the Osun State Governorship election, previously scheduled for August 8, 2026, has been postponed by one week to Saturday, August 15, 2026.
The Commission stated that while certain preparatory activities for the Ekiti and Osun elections have already been completed, all outstanding processes will now proceed strictly in line with the Electoral Act 2026.
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INEC further announced a compressed timetable for political parties ahead of the general elections. Party primaries, including the resolution of disputes arising from them, will commence on April 23, 2026, and must be concluded on or before May 30, 2026.
Campaign activities will officially begin on August 19, 2026, for Presidential and National Assembly candidates, while Governorship and State House of Assembly campaigns are scheduled to start on September 9, 2026.
Haruna urged political parties and stakeholders to strictly observe the approved timelines, stressing that the Commission would enforce full compliance with electoral laws.
He also reiterated that all political campaigns must end exactly 24 hours before election day, as stipulated under the new electoral legislation.
The Merit Newspaper reports that INEC maintained that the revised schedule remains consistent with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), as well as the Electoral Act 2026.
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Calling for collective responsibility, the Commission appealed to political actors, institutions, and citizens to cooperate in ensuring peaceful, credible, and inclusive elections capable of reflecting the sovereign will of Nigerians.
