The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) currently schedules Nigeria’s presidential and National Assembly elections for Saturday, 16 January 2027, and its governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections for Saturday, 6 February. Both dates appear on INEC’s election calendar. The lists of who will be on the ballot are less settled, and a federal court judgment delivered on Thursday has put one major opposition ticket in doubt. inecnigeria
The dates, and the ones to ignore
INEC’s chairman has said governorship elections are scheduled in 28 states, while State House of Assembly elections are scheduled across all 36 states (report of his press conference). thenigerialawyer
READ ALSO
Some websites still show 20 February and 6 March. Those were INEC’s earlier dates. After the new Electoral Act, INEC said statutory timelines had changed and issued a revised timetable on 26 February that moved both elections forward. President Bola Tinubu had signed the Electoral Act 2026 on 18 February. allafricaallafrica
What INEC’s presidential list shows
INEC’s list of presidential candidates, published as a PDF, has 19 numbered entries. Eighteen name a presidential candidate and a running mate, each from a different party, and two of the 18 presidential candidates are women. The list also gives each candidate’s age and listed qualifications. This article does not profile the candidates. inecnigeria
The first entry is different. It carries the party code “A”, which the list does not spell out, no names for either office, and a remark reading “court order”. INEC’s document does not say whom it concerns. inecnigeria
Reports suggest an explanation. The Federal High Court in Abuja ruled on 5 October that Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim should be recognised as the Accord Party’s presidential candidate (Premium Times report). INEC’s chairman then said the commission would comply, which would take the field from 18 to 19 (ThisDay report). The judgment and the placeholder may be connected, but that connection is NewsVelocityNG’s inference. INEC’s list does not name him or the party. thewillnewsthisdaylive
The ADC judgment
On Thursday, 5 November, the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered judgment in a suit by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former deputy national chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the North-East. He argued that the party’s officials had not been chosen at a national convention. Reuters reported that the judge set aside all processes that led to the emergence of the party executive, and to the nomination of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate. Premium Times reported that Justice Peter Lifu declared the caretaker committee led by Senator David Mark illegal, and directed INEC not to recognise decisions from the party’s national executive meeting of 27 July 2025 or later actions, including nominations. Nigerian court voids candidacy of opposition ADC’s Atiku for 2027 election +2
NewsVelocityNG has not seen the judgment, and its reach is disputed. Lawyers for the plaintiff say it leaves the ADC without candidates for any elective office in 2027. An ADC lawyer says it does not invalidate the candidacies of Atiku or other ADC candidates. premiumtimesngbusinessday
The ADC and Atiku reject the judgment. Atiku said the party would challenge it at the Court of Appeal. The ADC’s legal adviser said the party would also seek a stay of execution. The party points to a Federal High Court judgment of 2 July, which it says upheld the Mark-led leadership, and says it is waiting for the certified copy of the 5 November judgment to establish its terms. ADC Presidential Candidate to Appeal Court Ruling – Voice of Nigeria +2
An announced intention to appeal is not the same as an appeal filed, and filing an appeal does not by itself mean that execution of the judgment has been stayed. In the reports reviewed, including Premium Times’ account of the campaign’s response, no confirmation emerged that a notice of appeal or a stay application had been filed, and no stay was reported as granted. No appellate court has ruled on the judgment, so its effect on Atiku’s candidacy has not been decided on appeal. headtopics
INEC’s presidential list was published before the ruling and still carries the ADC ticket of Atiku and Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. The reports reviewed recorded no public response from INEC. fellowpress
What voters can do now
Voter registration has closed. INEC’s voter portal says the continuous registration exercise has ended. Registered voters can still: inecnigeria
- Check their status on INEC’s voter verification service. It accepts state, local government, name and date of birth, or a Voter Identification Number. inecnigeria
- Find their polling unit with INEC’s polling unit locator.
- Look up their Permanent Voter Card (PVC) status and collection centre through the same portal.
Under Section 47(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, a person intending to vote must present themselves for accreditation and provide a PVC. INEC’s calendar says accreditation uses the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), and that accreditation and voting run together from 8.30am to 2.30pm. nassinecnigeria
Section 18(1) deals with cards that are lost, destroyed, defaced, torn or otherwise damaged, and adds that nothing prevents the owner from printing a downloadable copy. The section does not say that such a copy is accepted at accreditation, so voters should not assume that a screenshot or printout will be. INEC’s portal carries its current instructions. nass
Between now and polling day, the picture of who is on the ballot will keep moving. The next developments to watch are whether the ADC files an appeal, whether any court suspends the 5 November judgment, and whether INEC changes its published lists. Readers should check INEC’s website for the current lists, not a campaign’s statement.
