KEY POINTS

• INEC fixed Jan 16, 2027 for presidential and national assembly elections and Feb 6, 2027 for governorship polls.

• The change follows adjustments introduced by the Electoral Act 2026, which altered election timelines.

• Party primaries start April 23, 2026, while campaigns begin in August and September 2026.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has fixed January 16, 2027 as the new date for Nigeria’s presidential and national assembly elections.

The announcement was made by Mohammed Haruna, the commission’s national commissioner in charge of information and voter education, who said the adjustment follows changes introduced by the new Electoral Act.

INEC also scheduled February 6, 2027 for governorship and state houses of assembly elections. The revised timetable replaces the earlier dates of February 20 and March 6, which had been announced before the passage of the updated electoral law.

According to the commission, the new Electoral Act 2026 altered key timelines guiding pre-election activities. As a result, INEC reviewed its earlier calendar to ensure that all processes, including party primaries, campaigns, and dispute resolution, comply fully with the updated legal framework.

Campaign and primary election schedule

Party primaries will run from April 23 to May 30, 2026. Campaigns for presidential and national assembly candidates will begin on August 19, 2026, while governorship and state assembly campaigns will start on September 9, 2026. INEC reminded political parties that campaigns must end 24 hours before election day and stressed that it will strictly enforce compliance.

The governorship election in Osun State, previously fixed for August 8, 2026, has now been shifted to August 15, 2026. The commission noted that while some preparatory activities for Osun and Ekiti State elections have already taken place, remaining steps will follow the new law’s provisions.

If implemented as planned, this will be the first time since Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999 that a presidential election will be conducted in January. Past elections were typically held between February and April, making this schedule a major shift from previous electoral cycles.