The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rescheduled the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections to January 16, 2027.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Mohammed Haruna, national commissioner and chairman of the information and voter education committee, said the governorship and state houses of assembly elections will now take place on February 6, 2027.

The commission had earlier fixed February 20, 2027, for the presidential and National Assembly polls, and March 6, 2027, for the governorship and state assembly elections. However, the timetable was reviewed following the repeal of the and the enactment of the .

Haruna explained that the new law introduced adjustments to statutory timelines governing pre-election and electoral activities, prompting the commission to realign its schedule to ensure full compliance.

According to the revised timetable, party primaries — including the resolution of disputes — will run from April 23 to May 30, 2026. Campaigns for presidential and National Assembly elections will begin on August 19, 2026, while governorship and state assembly campaigns will commence on September 9, 2026. Campaigns are to end 24 hours before election day, in line with the law.

INEC also announced that the Osun State governorship election, previously slated for August 8, 2026, has been moved to August 15, 2026. The commission noted that while some activities for the Ekiti and Osun governorship polls have already been conducted, all outstanding processes will strictly comply with the Electoral Act, 2026.

The 2027 poll will mark the first time since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999 that a presidential election will be held in January. Previous presidential elections were conducted on February 27, 1999; April 19, 2003; April 21, 2007; April 16, 2011; March 28, 2015; and February 23 and 25 in 2019 and 2023, respectively.