THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rescheduled the timetable for 2027 elections.
The new timetable was announced in a statement by the INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, Thursday night in Abuja.
He announced that the presidential and National Assembly elections would hold on January 6, while governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are slated for February 6.
The ICIR reported that the commission had announced February 20, 2027, for the presidential and National Assembly elections, while governorship and state assembly polls were scheduled for March 6.
However, the earlier timetable sparked widespread criticism after stakeholders noted that the dates coincided with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, expected to begin on February 8 and end around March 10, based on the 1448 AH Islamic calendar.
Some political leaders, including former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar had criticised the timetable, arguing that the elections fell within a sacred period of fasting, reflection, and spiritual devotion for millions of Nigerian Muslims.
He stated that elections required maximum participation, physical endurance, and national focus, adding that fixing such an important civic exercise during a major religious observance showed poor judgment and a lack of sensitivity to Nigeria’s socio-religious realities.
Meanwhile, INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, explained that INEC’s earlier Notice of Election, issued on February 13, 2026, was in compliance with constitutional provisions and Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022, which requires the commission to publish the election notice no later than 360 days before polling day.
The INEC boss noted that the commission would issue a revised timetable for the elections but would have to wait for the National Assembly to amend the Electoral Act to accommodate the adjustment.
The House of Representatives reconvened on February 17, for an emergency sitting over the need to amend the law for the new election dates.
President Bola Tinubu recently assented to the amended Electoral Act barely 24 hours after its passage by the National Assembly.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.