By Deborah Nnamdi
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the official timetable and schedule of activities for Nigeria’s 2027 General Elections, detailing key dates for voting, party primaries, campaigns, and voter registration.
The announcement comes amid concerns over the delayed passage of the amended Electoral Act currently before the National Assembly. Despite the delay, the commission had earlier, on February 4, indicated that it had concluded work on the election timetable and related activities.
According to the schedule, Presidential and National Assembly elections will be held on Saturday, February 20, 2027. Governorship and State House of Assembly elections are slated for Saturday, March 6, 2027, two weeks after the federal polls.
INEC also announced the official campaign periods for political parties and their candidates. Campaigns for the Presidential and National Assembly elections will commence on November 18, 2026, and end on February 19, 2027. Campaigns for Governorship and State Assembly elections will begin on December 15, 2026, and conclude on March 5, 2027, exactly 24 hours before the respective election days.
As part of preparations for the polls, the commission disclosed that Continuous Voter Registration will start in April 2026 and end in January 2027, allowing eligible Nigerians sufficient time to register or update their voter details.
Political parties are expected to conduct their primaries between July 1 and September 30, 2026. Submission of candidates’ lists to the commission is scheduled for October 1 to October 31, 2026, while the final list of candidates will be published on November 15, 2026.
