Nigeria has set the stage for its next presidential vote, with the election scheduled for February 20, 2027.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) also released a staggered timetable for other elections in the country, including legislative contests.
INEC chairman Joash Ojo Amupitan described the upcoming vote as a "significant milestone in our democratic journey." He added that state governorship elections are planned for March 6, 2027, following the national vote.
Earlier this week, Nigeria's upper parliamentary house approved an amendment allowing the live publication of election results, reversing an earlier decision that had blocked such transparency. The change came after public protests and intense pressure on lawmakers.
Over the last ten years, INEC has introduced various technological tools aimed at enhancing the credibility of election outcomes. Despite these efforts, confidence in the electoral process remains low, and legal challenges after elections continue to be common.
Experts suggest that trust in the process could increase if all 176,000 polling units in the country were required to upload their results in real time to a central public website.
President Bola Tinubu was elected in February 2023 in a single round, securing roughly 36 percent of the votes and defeating former vice president Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi. Obi has confirmed that he will run again in the 2027 election.
To win in the first round, a candidate must gain at least 25 percent of votes in over two-thirds of Nigeria’s 36 states plus the Federal Capital Territory. This requirement sets a high bar for any candidate aiming to secure an outright victory without a runoff.
