The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially set February 20, 2027, as the date for Nigeria’s presidential and National Assembly elections, with governorship and state assembly polls scheduled for March 6, 2027.

The INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, announced the dates whilst addressing journalists in Abuja on Friday, February 13, 2026, describing the release as “a significant milestone in our democratic journey” and a constitutional duty aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s democracy.

The February and March elections will cover the offices of President and Vice President, governors and deputy governors in 28 states, members of the Senate, members of the House of Representatives, and members of state assemblies. Eight states — Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Ondo, and Osun — are excluded from the governorship elections as their polls fall in different cycles.

Prof. Amupitan emphasised that the commission’s announcement complies strictly with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022, which requires publication no later than 360 days before election day.

2027 Polls: INEC Fixes 20th February for Presidential and National Assembly Elections, 6th March for Governorship and State Assembly Elections#NigeriaDecides2027

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, has formally… pic.twitter.com/olkHraSVVx

— INEC Nigeria (@inecnigeria) February 13, 2026

Political parties are expected to conduct their primaries between July 1 and September 30, 2026, after which they must submit their lists of candidates to the commission between October 1 and October 31, 2026. The final list of candidates will be published on November 15, 2026.

Campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly elections will run from November 18, 2026, to February 19, 2027. Meanwhile, campaigns for the governorship and State Assembly elections will begin on December 15, 2026, and end on March 5, 2027, exactly 24 hours before the respective election days.

It’s not yet clear how the Electoral Act amendment bill still before the National Assembly will affect the calendar. But the bill, which recently passed through the Senate amid fierce public opposition and the #OccupyNASS protests, has sparked concerns over provisions affecting electronic transmission of results. Whilst the upper chamber initially rejected mandatory real-time electronic transmission, intense pressure from civil society groups, opposition figures including Peter Obi, forced a dramatic reversal during an emergency session on Tuesday, February 10.

Identifying with the People Peacefully for Electoral Integrity

Yesterday, February 9th, I participated in a peaceful protest at the National Assembly to demand urgent electoral reforms that truly reflect the will of the Nigerian people.

Our demands were clear and… pic.twitter.com/55qbgqsEdE

— Peter Obi (@PeterObi) February 10, 2026

The revised bill now permits electronic transmission but includes a controversial fallback provision allowing manually signed Form EC8A to serve as the primary basis for result collation in cases of network failure — a clause critics say creates opportunities for electoral manipulation.

The Senate must do what is right by the people.

We join our voices with other bodies to reject half‑measures. Nigerians deserve full transparency and the Senate's clause 60(3) is a clever loophole that drags us back. Our demand is simple, "Mandatory Electronic Transmission of… pic.twitter.com/oDGH83UyoP

— Yiaga Africa (@YIAGA) February 10, 2026

President Tinubu has remained silent on whether he will sign the amendment into law, raising uncertainty about the legal framework that will govern the 2027 polls. The situation echoes 2019, when former President Muhammadu Buhari famously refused to sign an electoral act amendment, citing its proximity to the elections as his reason.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has urged swift resolution of differences between the Senate and House versions of the bill, hoping for presidential assent by the end of February.

INEC must release its full election timetable by April, making the next few weeks critical for determining the rules under which Nigerians will elect their leaders in 2027.