Independent National Electoral Commission, on Thursday, fixed January 16, 2027, for the Presidential and National Assembly elections.
National Commissioner, Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, announced this in a statement in Abuja.
He said the governorship and State Houses of Assembly Elections would now hold on Saturday, February 6, 2027.
Earlier, INEC had announced that the Presidential and National Assembly elections would take place on February 20, 2027, while governorship and state Houses of Assembly polls were scheduled for March 6, 2027.
But this triggered a backlash as many protested that the dates clashed with the holy month of Ramadan, which is expected to commence on February 8, 2027, and end around March 10, 2027, according to the 1448 AH Islamic calendar.
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, in a statement, insisted that the election date fell squarely within the Ramadan period, which he described as a sacred season of fasting, reflection and spiritual devotion for millions of Nigerian Muslims.
He said elections were not mere administrative rituals but national exercises that demand maximum participation, physical endurance and collective focus.
“Fixing such a critical civic exercise in the middle of a major religious observance reflects poor judgment and a troubling lack of sensitivity to the nation’s socio-religious realities,” Atiku had said.
Reacting on X, Bashir Ahmad, former Presidential Media Aide, said the timing may present challenges.
“If the intention is to encourage full and inclusive participation in the electoral process, scheduling such a critical national exercise during Ramadan may present challenges for a large segment of the population,” Ahmad wrote.
“I assure you that the date for elections 2027 just released shall be changed,” Hamma Hayatu, a public affairs analyst, wrote.
“Presidential election is in Ramadan not even that the Gubernatorial election day is on sallah day.”
Sarki, another social media user, said, “The current Christian INEC chairman has already shown his hand by fixing the presidential election during Ramadan.”
But INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), later said the commission would issue a revised timetable for the 2027 General Elections following the enactment of the new Electoral Act 2026.
President Bola Tinubu recently assented to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026 barely 24 hours after it was passed by the National Assembly.
Amupitan explained that although INEC had issued a Notice of Election on February 13, 2026, it was issued under the provisions of the old Electoral Act, as the new law had not yet been enacted.
“I must not fail to inform you that we now have a new Electoral Act, 2026. We had on 13th February 2026 issued a Notice of Election before the new Act was enacted. The Notice was issued under the old law. With the introduction of the new Electoral Act, we have to make some adjustments and issue a revised Timetable for the 2027 General Election”, Amupitan stated.
The INEC chairman noted that the development would require procedural alignments to ensure full compliance with the new legal framework guiding the conduct of elections in the country.
