Campaigning for the January 16, 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections officially begins tomorrow, August 19, in accordance with the timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
However, major political parties appear unprepared to immediately commence nationwide campaigns, with the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and several smaller parties yet to announce detailed campaign programmes.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC is expected to face a major challenge from Peter Obi of the NDC, Atiku Abubakar of the ADC and 16 other presidential candidates.
Campaigns for the National Assembly elections will also commence tomorrow, with the legislative polls scheduled to hold alongside the presidential election.
A senior official of one of the leading political parties explained that the parties were in no rush to begin active campaigning because of the length and cost of the campaign period.
“We are not ready to be on the move for five months. It is expensive, energy-sapping and laborious,” the official said.
So far, none of the major parties has formally unveiled its campaign committees or released comprehensive schedules of activities.
The presidential and National Assembly campaign period is the sixth item on INEC’s timetable and schedule of activities. It is based on Section 98(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which provides that political campaigns should commence 150 days before polling day and end 24 hours before the election.
Campaigns for the governorship and State House of Assembly elections, scheduled for February 6, 2027, are expected to begin on September 9.
Political parties have until August 22 to substitute candidates who withdraw from the election, in line with Section 31 of the Electoral Act.
They also have until August 29 to submit candidates’ nomination forms, while INEC is expected to publish the final list of nominated candidates on September 12, at least 60 days before the election, as stipulated by Section 32(1).
APC to Unveil Campaign Programme
The APC said it is working on a detailed nationwide campaign programme, which it plans to unveil later this month.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, explained that although August 19 marks the official opening of the campaign window, political parties are not required to hold rallies immediately.
“August 19 is the date fixed by INEC for all parties to start the presidential and National Assembly campaign,” Morka said.
“There is no law that we must start on that day. The only thing is, no political party is permitted to start ahead of the day.”
Speaking after a meeting of the party’s National Working Committee in Abuja, Morka said the APC was deliberately taking time to properly structure its campaign strategy before embarking on nationwide activities.
He said the party would consult extensively and plan adequately before formally launching its campaign.
PDP Says It Is Ready
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said it is prepared for the elections.
The party’s National Chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed, gave the assurance while receiving a delegation from the International Republican Institute.
“We are PDP, and we belong to the people of Nigeria, and our yearning and aspiration is to give responsible leadership to the electorate,” Mohammed said.
He added that the party’s nationwide presence across the 36 states, the Federal Capital Territory and the 774 local government areas puts it in a strong position ahead of the elections.
“I want to assure you that the PDP is fully ready for the election,” he said.
Labour Party Targets Organised Labour
The Labour Party (LP) said it plans to leverage its relationship with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) to mobilise voters and strengthen its grassroots campaign.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ken Asogwa, said the LP had developed what he described as a formidable organisational structure and an energised membership base around its presidential candidate.
According to him, the party’s relationship with organised labour gives it a significant advantage at the grassroots.
“As we have consistently maintained, the Labour Party is today the most structured political party in Nigeria,” Asogwa said.
He noted that the NLC and TUC are institutional members of the party, arguing that their nationwide presence could help the LP mobilise voters across polling units, wards, local governments and communities.
Asogwa said the party would deploy its labour connections and grassroots network to promote its candidates and policies ahead of the elections.
He also expressed confidence that INEC would publish the names of the party’s governorship and State House of Assembly candidates, saying the LP had uploaded the candidates’ details before the deadline.
With the legal campaign window now opening, the major parties are expected to intensify preparations in the coming weeks as the 2027 election season gathers momentum.
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