By Abba Dukawa
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ) has released the official timetable for Nigeria’s 2027 General Elections, outlining key dates for voting, party primaries, campaigns, and voter registration. The announcement comes amid growing concerns over the delayed passage of the amended Electoral Act currently before the National Assembly.
INEC had on February 4 indicated that it had completed work on the election timetable and schedule of activities despite the delay.
According to the schedule, the Presidential and National Assembly elections will be held on Saturday, February 20, 2027. Governorship and State House of Assembly elections will follow two weeks later on Saturday, March 6, 2027.
The commission also outlined the official campaign periods for political parties and candidates. Campaigns for the Presidential and National Assembly elections will run from November 18, 2026, to February 19, 2027.
Meanwhile, campaigns for the Governorship and State Assembly elections will begin on December 15, 2026, and end on March 5, 2027, exactly 24 hours before the respective election days.
As part of preparations for the polls, INEC announced that Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) will commence in April 2026 and conclude in January 2027, giving eligible Nigerians ample time to register or update their voter information.
Political parties are expected to conduct their primaries between July 1 and September 30, 2026, after which they must submit their lists of candidates to the commission between October 1 and October 31, 2026. The final list of candidates will be published on November 15, 2026.
