By Hajara Abdullahi
Recent reports from sources within the Independent National Electoral Commission and the National Assembly indicate that lawmakers are set to announce a new date for the 2027 general elections following widespread backlash over the initial schedule, which coincided with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Punch Newspaper reports.
Additional information suggests that both the presidential and governorship elections will now hold in January 2027.
“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 spoke on condition of anonymity, told Punch.
According to the source, the new dates are January 16 for the presidential election and January 30 for the governorship elections.
INEC had earlier fixed February 20, 2027, for the presidential and National Assembly elections, while the governorship and state Houses of Assembly polls were scheduled for March 6, 2027.
However, the initial announcement sparked outrage among Muslim groups and communities, as the proposed dates fell within the holy month of Ramadan.
If adopted by the National Assembly, the new January 16 date would make the 2027 presidential election one of the earliest in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic, signaling a major shift in campaign timelines and administrative preparations.
Meanwhile, the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, in a notice issued on Sunday, announced that plenary will reconvene on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, directing senators and members of the House of Representatives to resume sitting by 11:00 a.m.