Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday released the notice of election and the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general elections.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, officially released the timetable at a news conference at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
According to the schedule, the national elections (Presidential and National Assembly) will hold on Feb. 20, 2027, while state elections (Governorship and State Houses of Assembly) are slated for March 6, 2027.
The conduct of party primaries, including the resolution of disputes arising from them, is expected to commence on May 22, 2027 and end on June 20, 2027.
The submission of nomination forms by political parties via the INEC online portal for the national elections will open on July 14, 2027 and close on July 28, 2027.
For state elections, the submission period is between Aug. 11 and Aug. 25, 2026, with access codes to be made available to parties at the INEC headquarters on July 13.
The commission also scheduled the publication of personal particulars of candidates for the presidential and national assembly elections for Aug. 4, while those for the governorship and state assembly polls will be published on Sept. 1.
The timetable fixed Aug. 25 as the last day for the withdrawal or replacement of candidates for national elections, and Sept. 24 for state-level candidates.
Similarly, INEC will publish the final list of nominated candidates for the national elections on Aug. 15 and for state polls on Oct. 6.
While the publication of the notice of poll is set for Jan. 21, 2027, the commission will publish the official register of voters on Jan. 11, 2027.
Public campaigns for the presidential and national assembly elections are scheduled to commence on Sept. 23, 2026 and end on Feb. 18, 2027.
Campaigns for the governorship and state houses of assembly elections will start on Oct. 7, 2026 and end on March 4, 2027.
Amupitan stated that the timetable was released pursuant to the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act 2022.
He explained that the Act mandates INEC to publish the notice of election not later than 360 days before the date appointed for the polls.
The chairman emphasised that the commission acted swiftly to ensure the integrity of the process and to mitigate logistical challenges that could arise from delays.
He noted that under the 1999 Constitution, the tenures of the president, vice-president, and state governors (excluding off-cycle states) will expire on May 28, 2027 while the national and state houses of assembly are expected to stand dissolved on June 8, 2027.
NAN reports that the off-cycle governorship elections are: Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Ondo and Osun states.
