By ANGEL NWOKOCHA, Staff Reporter, Abuja
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed January 16, 2027, for the Presidential and National Assembly elections. In the same vein, the Commission has fixed the governorship and State Houses of Assembly Elections to hold on Saturday, February 6, 2027.
The First Mail newspaper reports that INEC had earlier released election timetable indicating that the Presidential and National Assembly elections would take place on February 20, 2027, while governorship and state Houses of Assembly polls were scheduled for March 6, 2027.
However, the dates were greeted with rejection, many stakeholders, religious groups and concerned citizens voiced their concerns that the time table clashed with the holy month of Ramadan, expected to commence on February 8, 2027, and end around March 10, 2027, according to the 1448 AH Islamic calendar.
On Thursday, in a statement described as Key Milestones in the Elections Timetable, the National Commissioner, Information and Voter Education Committee, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mohammed Haruna, announced the revised dates in the statement sighted by The First Mail newspaper in Abuja.
The Commission said this followed the repealof the Electoral Act, 2022 and the enactment of the Electoral Act, 2026, which introduced adjustments to statutory timelines governing pre-election and electoral activities, the Commission has reviewed and realigned the Schedule to ensure full compliance with the new legal framework.
Amupitan explained that although INEC had issued a Notice of Election on February 13, 2026, it was issued under the provisions of the old Electoral Act, as the new law had not yet been enacted.
The First Mail also recalls that President Bola Tinubu recently assented to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026 barely 24 hours after it was passed by the National Assembly.
