There are strong indications that the Independent National Electoral Commission and the National Assembly have agreed to move the 2027 presidential election to January 16, 2027, in a dramatic reversal of the earlier February 20 date, according to The PUNCH, reported by ABNTV.
Similarly, the governorship elections are also set to be brought forward to January 30, 2027, multiple sources within the electoral body and the legislature confirmed on Monday.
The development comes a few hours after the Senate and House of Representatives suspended the planned harmonisation of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill to focus on an emergency plenary session convened for Tuesday, where the new dates are expected to top deliberations.
“After several consultations and meetings, INEC and the leadership of the National Assembly have now agreed on a new date for next year’s election,” a senior INEC official who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, told The PUNCH.
“The new dates will now be January 16 and 30 for presidential and governorship elections, respectively,” the source added.
A ranking senator also corroborated the development, though he cautioned that the proposal was still subject to debate on the floor.
“Whoever hinted to you about the new dates is correct. That is the proposal currently on the table. However, that doesn’t mean it can’t change tomorrow,” he said.
