Abuja, Nigeria – February 13, 2026 — The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has formally released the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general elections, putting an end to weeks of speculation and conflicting media reports on the dates.
INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan announced the official schedule during a well-attended press conference held at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Friday. He categorically dismissed earlier online and media claims suggesting that INEC had already published the timetable, describing those reports as inaccurate and premature.
“The commission has not released any timetable prior to today,” Prof. Amupitan stated. “What we are doing now is fulfilling our statutory obligation under Section 178(2) and Section 179(2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Section 30 of the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended), which require INEC to publish a timetable and schedule of activities not later than 360 days before the date of the election.”
The chairman emphasised that the announcement was made exactly 360 days before the scheduled presidential election, in strict compliance with the law.
Key dates released by INEC include:
- Presidential and National Assembly elections — Saturday, February 20, 2027
- Governorship and State House of Assembly elections — Saturday, March 6, 2027
Prof. Amupitan explained that the two-week gap between the presidential/National Assembly polls and the governorship/state assembly elections is designed to allow for adequate logistics, security deployment, result collation, and potential rerun preparations while minimising voter fatigue.
Other major milestones in the timetable include:
- Continuous voter registration (CVR) — Already ongoing and will continue until a date to be announced later
- Political party primaries and submission of candidate lists — Between April and October 2026 (exact window to be confirmed)
- Campaign period for presidential and National Assembly candidates — Commences 150 days before February 20, 2027
- Campaign period for governorship and state assembly candidates — Commences 120 days before March 6, 2027
- Last day for withdrawal of candidates — 90 days before the respective election dates
The chairman reiterated INEC’s commitment to credible, transparent, and inclusive elections, highlighting ongoing efforts to strengthen the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), expand the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), improve logistics, and enhance collaboration with security agencies.
He appealed to political parties, candidates, civil society organisations, the media, and the general public to familiarise themselves with the timetable and prepare accordingly. Prof. Amupitan also urged stakeholders to avoid spreading unverified information that could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
The release of the timetable comes at a time when preparations for the 2027 polls are gaining momentum, including the recent presentation of INEC’s proposed N873.778 billion budget for the elections and N171 billion for 2026 operations before the National Assembly.
Political parties and aspirants are expected to intensify consultations, candidate screening, and mobilisation efforts now that the official dates are known. The two-phase arrangement—presidential and legislative elections first, followed by governorship and state assembly polls—mirrors the structure used in 2019 and 2023.
INEC has promised to publish the full timetable and detailed schedule on its official website and in national newspapers within the next 48 hours. The commission also stated that any subsequent adjustments would only be made in exceptional circumstances and with full public disclosure.
The 2027 general elections will be the first to be conducted under the full implementation of the Electoral Act 2022 amendments and will involve an expanded electorate, with voter registration figures already surpassing 93 million and expected to grow further before the polls.
Stakeholders have welcomed the early release of the timetable as a positive step toward transparency and adequate preparation time, though some civil society groups have called for stronger assurances on electronic transmission of results, security of polling units, and protection of ad-hoc staff.
As Nigeria enters the formal countdown to 2027, all eyes are now on political parties to conduct peaceful, democratic primaries and on INEC to deliver on its promise of free, fair, and credible elections.
