As The 2027 Election Campaigns Approach
By Abdullahi Yusuf
Pre-election year in Nigeria usually comes with more political activities than the election year itself.For it is during the pre-election year that the foundation for the forthcoming general elections is laid.
Such foundation usually involves series of meetings among members of political parties and conduct of party congresses at ward, local government and state levels, national conventions, as well as primary elections to select candidates for Presidential, National Assembly, Governorship and State Houses of Assembly polls.
It is also during the year before the election year proper, that nominations of candidates for the various elective positions are filed with the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC),among many other activities heralding the election year.
Virtually all these activities are guided and supervised by INEC through its officials and the scheduled Time Tables backed by provisions of the 2026 Electoral Act.
The conduct of party primaries is already over and nominations of candidates for the various elective offices by the political parties have also been done, although the dust following the two processes appears to still be hovering around the political spectrum.
The next crucial feature of the pre-election year are campaigns and rallies to be conducted by candidates fielded by the political parties to canvass for votes of the electorate to enable them to win election for the various positions to be thrown up in 2027,and the month of the commencement of the process,August, is here.The confirmed date is August 19, 2026,as announced by INEC.
In a publication signed by the Chairman of INEC, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, and published on the Commission’s portal,the electoral umpire said Presidential and National Assembly Elections Campaigns will begin on 19 August 2026, and end on 15th January 2027, exactly 24 hours before the elections scheduled for 16 January 2027.
It also indicated that Governorship and State Houses of Assembly Elections Campaigns will begin on 9 September 2026, and end on 5th February 2027, 24 hours before the elections scheduled to hold on 6th February, 2027.
According to INEC, all campaigns must end 24 hours before the polling day, and political parties, candidates, and supporters are prohibited from commencing campaigns before the officially approved dates, warning that violations may attract appropriate sanctions.
It said that the revised timetable aligns with the Electoral Act 2026 and replaces the earlier election schedule initially proposed by INEC.
“Accordingly, political parties and candidates are expected to begin public campaigns, including rallies, media advertisements, voter engagement, and grassroots mobilisation, from 19 August 2026 for the Presidential and National Assembly elections, and from 9 September 2026 for the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.
“All stakeholders are encouraged to comply fully with the approved timetable to ensure a peaceful, credible, and lawful electoral process,” the commission added.
By now, the politicians, especially candidates, would have begun preparations ahead of the commencement of the campaigns, including mobilisation of resources, supporters, vehicles and venues to ensure impactful participation in the process.
But it behoves on the political stakeholders to ensure peaceful and issue-based campaigns, as campaign-violence could lead to election violence, which will not augur well for the nation’s democratic dispensation.
Because campaigns for various bye elections conducted in parts of the country in recent times were reportedly marred by violence with party thugs perpetrating mayhem against each other and on innocent persons.
Similarly, during the recently-concluded party primaries across the country,a lot of campaigns of calumny were allegedly perpetrated by some candidates and their supporters against fellow hopefuls, which created so much disharmony among the gladiators themselves and their respective political parties.
Such smear campaigns were more prevalent in the social media where some party faithful indulged in the spread of fake news, dangerous propaganda, half truths and falsehoods against each other, resulting in the development of a new trend that is capable of truncating our young democracy.
And it has been established that campaign violence is closely linked to drug abuse, especially among youths who take illicit drugs in order to perpetrate mayhem during campaigns and rallies,which often results in injuries and deaths.
It has also been alleged that many of the drug addicts have overtime, become willing tools for politicians whom they use to unleash violence on innocent souls during campaigns, rallies and elections.
There is, however, the economic side of the electioneering campaigns.Because campaigns are capital-intensive, politicians have, overtime, been known to be saving money ahead of forthcoming campaigns and elections, which they use to fund their activities.
They usually expend such funds on mobilisation, transportation of party supporters, accommodation, feeding, printing of posters and flags, hiring of venues, publicity and entertainment, among others.
The disbursement of such resources naturally benefits the economic sector,as it improves the circulation money in the society and gives temporary employment to various categories of people brought into the process.
On the social aspect,the campaigns bring together people from all walks of life and enables them to interact not only on political issues, but also other factors that affect their lives, generally.
It has also been observed that electioneering campaigns have, over the years, been serving as avenues where spinsters and widows find suitors, which result in the contracting of lawful marriages that last long.
So, electioneering campaigns are not only about rallies,speeches, chanting of party slogans, singing and dancing,drama, and the unwanted breaches.They are also about empowering people, making social networks and bringing some comic relief to those who attend them.
Come August 19,2026, the whole country will be agog with yet another campaign atmosphere that will lead to a fresh election of political leaders whom are expected to steer the nation to greatness.May the process start and end well.