INEC Sets Dates for 2027 General Elections, Women’s Representation Bill Coalition Calls for Urgent Action

Summary: INEC has announced the timetable for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, with presidential and National Assembly polls set for February 20 and governorship and state Assembly elections on March 6. Following this, the Reserved Seats for Women Bill Campaign Coalition called on lawmakers to fast-track gender-inclusive reforms to ensure women’s full representation in the upcoming elections.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the timetable for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections. The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for February 20, 2027, while the governorship and state Assembly elections will take place on March 6, 2027.

INEC Chairperson Joash Amupitan disclosed the schedule at a press conference in Abuja, noting that the announcement complies with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution and Section 28 (1) of the Electoral Act 2022, which requires the commission to publish election notices at least 360 days before the appointed date.

The 2027 elections will provide Nigerians with the opportunity to vote for the President, members of the National Assembly, governors, and state legislators, continuing the nation’s four-year democratic cycle. The timetable also continues INEC’s framework introduced under former chairperson Mahmood Yakubu, designed to improve predictability in election scheduling and reduce logistical challenges.

Following the release of the 2027 election timetable, the Reserved Seats for Women Bill Campaign Coalition urged lawmakers in a statement to act swiftly to ensure inclusive political representation in Nigeria.

The Reserved Seats for Women bill is designed as a time-bound corrective mechanism for an initial period of 16 years, intended to accelerate gender-balanced representation while preserving electoral integrity and competitiveness.

The Coalition emphasised that women across Nigeria’s 36 states are ready to contest, lead, and serve, calling on the 10th National Assembly to prioritise and fast-track the passage of SB 550 and HB 1349 ahead of the 2027 elections.

“Nigeria must not approach the 2027 General Elections with the same structural inequities that have long limited women’s full and equal participation in the democratic process,” the Coalition said.