Your guide to the 2027 elections

Two polling days: the President and the National Assembly first, then governors and state assemblies three weeks later. Here is what happens before them, and what you need to vote.

2027 General Election

INEC

Presidential & National Assembly

107 days10 hrs3 min

Sat, 16 Jan 2027 · polls open 8:30 a.m. WAT · President, 109 senators and 360 representatives

Then Governorship & State Houses of Assembly: Sat, 6 Feb 2027

INEC revised timetable, 27 Feb 2026 ↗

Before you vote

Bring your PVC on polling day: you cannot vote without it. Registration for 2027 closed on 26 July 2026.

The road to polling day

23 Apr 2026 – 30 May 2026Party primariesParties choose their candidates and settle disputes over the primaries.source
26 Jul 2026Voter registration closesThe last of three registration phases ended. INEC registered 10.77 million new voters, subject to verification.source
19 Aug 2026Presidential and National Assembly campaigns openCampaigns must stop 24 hours before polling day.source
9 Sept 2026Governorship and State Assembly campaigns openCampaigns must stop 24 hours before polling day.source
9 Oct 2026PVC collection beginsNew voters collect their Permanent Voter Cards. INEC has not yet announced an end date.source
16 Jan 2027Presidential and National Assembly electionssource
6 Feb 2027Governorship and State Assembly electionsGovernors in 28 states and all 36 state assemblies.source

Off-cycle governorship elections

8 states vote on their own calendar

Court rulings and re-run elections in these states moved governors’ swearing-in dates, and a governor serves four years from the oath (s.180), so their elections no longer fall with the general poll. INEC fixes each date separately; the next ones are expected about four years after the last.

Bayelsa StateNext expected November 2027Last held 11 Nov 2023 · source
Imo StateNext expected November 2027Last held 11 Nov 2023 · source
Kogi StateNext expected November 2027Last held 11 Nov 2023 · source
Edo StateNext expected September 2028Last held 21 Sept 2024 · source
Ondo StateNext expected November 2028Last held 16 Nov 2024 · source
Anambra StateNext expected November 2029Last held 8 Nov 2025 · source
Ekiti StateNext expected June 2030Last held 20 Jun 2026 · source
Osun StateNext expected August 2030Last held 15 Aug 2026 · source

Dates from INEC revised timetable, 27 Feb 2026 and INEC’s later notices. INEC can revise its timetable; we update this page when it does.

The road to polling day

23 Apr 2026 – 30 May 2026Party primariesParties choose their candidates and settle disputes over the primaries.source

26 Jul 2026Voter registration closesThe last of three registration phases ended. INEC registered 10.77 million new voters, subject to verification.source

19 Aug 2026Presidential and National Assembly campaigns openCampaigns must stop 24 hours before polling day.source

9 Sept 2026Governorship and State Assembly campaigns openCampaigns must stop 24 hours before polling day.source

9 Oct 2026PVC collection beginsNew voters collect their Permanent Voter Cards. INEC has not yet announced an end date.source

16 Jan 2027Presidential and National Assembly electionssource

6 Feb 2027Governorship and State Assembly electionsGovernors in 28 states and all 36 state assemblies.source