The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has announced that the 2027 Presidential and National Assembly elections will be held on February 20, 2027, with governorship and State Houses of Assembly polls scheduled for March 6, 2027.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed the election timetable at a news conference in Abuja on Friday. The announcement comes amid growing concerns over the delayed passage of the amended Electoral Act currently before the National Assembly.
INEC had on February 4, indicated that it had completed work on the election timetable and schedule of activities despite the delay. The commission noted that it had submitted its timetable to lawmakers but cautioned that some items in the schedule of activities could be affected depending on when the amended Electoral Act is eventually passed.
INEC may shift date because of Ramadan
Meanwhile, the commission is already contemplating a change in the date, as it had been urged to shift the date because it falls with the 2027 Muslim’s fasting period, Ramadan. Many Muslim leaders have been complaining since INEC took the decision to fix February 20 and March 6, 2027, for the next year general elections, noting that the dates fall within the holy month of Ramadan.
Assurance of electronic transfer
Notwithstanding the raging controversies over the ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act, INEC has given firm assurance that it will transmit the results of the 2027 general elections electronically. The Senate version of the Electoral Act amendment disagreed remarkably with that of the House of Representatives, which provides
for electronic transmission of election results from the polling unit, necessitating composition of a Conference Committee of the two Chambers to harmonise the Act. Amupitan, who also announced the timetable for the conduct of the 2027 general elections at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, noted that the commission has been transmitting election results since 2020.
“INEC is committed to ensuring that we improve on the credibility of our elections,” he said, noting that the confidence of Nigerians was eroded by the glitches witnessed during the 2023 presidential election. Prof. Amupitan stated that the commission is considering conducting mock presidential elections to test the effectiveness of the technology to be used.
“The delicate thing about technology is that even technology is designed without being properly tested. “We are doing everything possible to ensure that we test whatever we have. “So as far as I’m concerned, I don’t think we have issues with transmission to IReV,” he added.
According to him, while the debate (on electronic transmission of results) is going on, “no matter how it ends, we already have our own system, an internal machinery to ensure that the results are transmitted.” Amupitan assured that the commission will work with other professional bodies, associated with information technology to ensure that past problems were eliminated. “We are going to do everything possible not to disappoint Nigerians.
“So, we will do our best to ensure that within the budget limits that we have, we give Nigeria what they desire,” he assured. The INEC Chairman stated that by virtue of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the tenure of the President Bola Tinubu,
Vice President Kashim Shettima, as well as 28 out of 36 state governors and their deputy, will end on May 28, 2027 while that of members of the National and state Houses of Assembly will expire on June 8 that same year. He explained that the 2027 governorship election will not be held in Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Ondo, and Osun states.
According to him, in accordance with Sections 76(2), 116 (2), 132 (2) and 178 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), elections shall hold not earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days before the expiration of the term of office of` the last holder of that office.
