The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially announced that the Presidential and National Assembly elections in Nigeria will be held on Saturday, the 20th of February, 2027. This announcement marks the formal start of preparations for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, alongside contenders like Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, El Rufai, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and many other Presidential, Gubernatorial, Senatorial, and House of Representatives aspirants to begin to make concrete plans for a return to office, or in the case of the opposition, an upset.
Professor Joash Amupitan, Chairman of INEC, disclosed the election date during a press briefing in Abuja on Friday. In the same announcement, the commission outlined that governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will follow on Saturday, the 6th of March, 2027.
INEC’s announcement effectively triggers the electoral cycle, requiring political parties, candidates, and government institutions to begin formal preparations. According to the timetable shared by the commission:
• Political parties are expected to conduct their primaries and nominate candidates well in advance of the election.
• Campaign activities for presidential and National Assembly candidates will commence months before the election itself.
• Continuous voter registration and voter revalidation exercises are expected to take place to ensure the electoral roll is as accurate and inclusive as possible.
In recent weeks, the commission also announced plans for a nationwide voter revalidation exercise aimed at cleaning up the voter register ahead of the polls, a move seen as critical to curbing irregularities and enhancing the integrity of the voter list. 
The announcement comes amid lingering uncertainty over the passage of the amended Electoral Act, which has been under revision in the National Assembly. The delay in amending the law has raised questions among election stakeholders about whether technical adjustments to the election calendar might be needed. INEC, however, has maintained that its preparations will proceed under the existing legal framework while continuing consultations with lawmakers. 
Before this official timetable, INEC had to dispel misleading reports about an election schedule circulating online. Earlier claims of a leaked timetable were publicly denounced by the commission as fake, with officials urging Nigerians to rely only on verified INEC communications. 
With less than a year to go before February 20th, 2027, INEC’s formal announcement has provided clarity on the national election timeline. Political parties will now shift focus to candidate selection, campaign strategies, and voter mobilisation efforts.
Samuel Aina