By Joy Odor Reportcircle News
Nigeria’s election management body has moved swiftly to shut down growing speculation around the 2027 General Election, declaring that no official timetable has been released and warning Nigerians against falling for what it described as false and misleading reports.
In a firm rebuttal issued on Thursday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) dismissed claims circulating in parts of the media and on social platforms that the Commission had unveiled its Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the next general election.
According to INEC, the reports are entirely fictitious.
“The Commission has not released any timetable or schedule of activities for the 2027 General Election,” the electoral umpire stated, drawing a clear line between verified information and what it termed manufactured content.
INEC anchored its position on the law, stressing that its operations are guided strictly by statutory provisions.
Citing Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022, the Commission noted that a Notice of Election can only be published not later than 360 days before the date appointed for a general election making any purported timetable released outside that window legally impossible.
The clarification comes amid rising political activity and early manoeuvring by political actors, a development that has fueled speculation about election dates and preparatory milestones.
INEC’s response signals an effort to regain control of the narrative and prevent misinformation from distorting the electoral process.
The Commission assured Nigerians that when the official timetable is ready, it will be released transparently and in full compliance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and the Electoral Act, 2022.
It added that such information would only be disseminated through its established and verified communication channels.
INEC also issued a cautionary note to the public and the media, urging them to disregard unverified reports and rely exclusively on official INEC platforms for accurate and authoritative updates.
As political tension slowly builds ahead of 2027, the message from the electoral umpire is unmistakable: the clock has not started ticking at least not yet.
