INEC Releases 2027 Election Timetable, Sets February 20 For Presidential Poll

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the timetable for 2027 general elections, detailing important dates for voting, party primaries, campaigns, and voter registration.

This announcement comes at a time when there are concerns about the delay in passing the amended Electoral Act, which is still being considered by the National Assembly.

Earlier, on February 4, INEC said it had already finalised the election timetable despite the delay in the legislation.

According to the timetable, elections for the President and members of the National Assembly will take place on Saturday, February 20, 2027.

Two weeks later, on Saturday, March 6, 2027, voters will return to the polls to elect governors and members of the State Houses of Assembly.

The INEC also fixed the campaign periods for political parties and their candidates.

Campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly elections will start on November 18, 2026, and end on February 19, 2027.

For governorship and State Assembly elections, campaigns will run from December 15, 2026, until March 5, 2027, stopping 24 hours before election day.

As part of its preparations, the commission said Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) will begin in April 2026 and close in January 2027.

This window is meant to allow eligible Nigerians to register for the first time or update their voter details.

Political parties are expected to hold their primaries between July 1 and September 30, 2026.

After that, they must submit the names of their candidates to INEC between October 1 and October 31, 2026.

The commission will then publish the final list of candidates on November 15, 2026.

KanyiDaily recalls that the INEC recently disclosed that it will need N873.78 billion to run the 2027 general elections.