2027 Election: INEC Debunks Viral Campaign Timetable, Says ‘Don’t Be Misled

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has refuted claims that it amended the campaign timetable for the 2027 general elections, describing a widely circulated social media graphic as fake.

The viral graphic alleged that the commission had adjusted campaign deadlines, stating that campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly elections would end on January 15, 2027, rather than January 14, while governorship and state House of Assembly campaigns would close on February 5, 2027.

Reacting to the claims on Tuesday, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, told TheCable that the commission never released a separate campaign timetable and urged the public to disregard the misleading graphic.

According to Oketola, all campaign schedules are already captured in the revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general election, which INEC officially released on February 26, 2026.

“This graphic did not emanate from INEC. The Commission does not issue campaign timetables separately. All official campaign timelines are already contained within the revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general election, which was released on February 26, 2026,” he said.

He further advised Nigerians, media organisations, and other stakeholders to rely solely on INEC’s official communication channels for election-related information.

“We advise the media and the public to always verify electoral information through our official channels. As we enter the election season, we must all remain vigilant against the spread of misinformation and disinformation,” Oketola added.

INEC’s revised election timetable schedules the presidential and National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027, with political campaigns for both contests set to commence on August 19, 2026.

Campaigns for governorship and state House of Assembly elections are slated to begin on September 9, 2026. Under the official timetable, presidential and National Assembly campaigns will end on January 14, 2027, while governorship and state Assembly campaigns will conclude on February 4, 2027—24 hours before the polls.

The governorship and state House of Assembly elections remain fixed for February 6, 2027.