INEC aims for 7:30 a.m. readiness at polling stations in 2027 elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is working to ensure that election officials and materials are at polling units by 7:30 a.m. during the 2027 general elections.

They are focusing on logistics and transportation as key areas.

Wilfred Ifogah, who is the deputy director of information at INEC, shared this on Wednesday during AIT’s Kakaaki programme. He talked about the commission’s plans for the 2027 elections.

Mr Ifogah mentioned that INEC’s chairman, Joash Amupitan, stressed that officials and materials must not arrive late at polling units. He pointed out that any delays could lead to tension and suspicion among voters.

“If you don’t, you find out that it creates tension and a lot of suspicion here and there,” Mr Ifogah said during the programme.

INEC’s official election calendar shows that the Presidential and National Assembly elections are set for January 16, 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold on February 6, 2027.

This planned early deployment comes after delays were noted in some recent elections. In the August 2026 Osun State governorship election, Yiaga Africa reported that INEC officials reached only 78 percent of the 300 polling units they monitored by 8:30 a.m.

According to the organization, these figures reflect the level of preparedness and how quickly electoral activities began at the observed polling units.

INEC guidelines say that election officials should arrive at their polling units at least one hour before voting starts. In Osun, where voting was set for 8:30 a.m., officials were expected to be there by 7:30 a.m.

PREMIUM TIMES also reported worries about the late movement of sensitive election materials before the Osun election. This was due to INEC needing to reprint ballot papers and result sheets after a candidate was added late to the election.

Mr Ifogah mentioned that INEC has learned from recent off-cycle elections, such as those in Anambra, the Federal Capital Territory, and Ekiti, to find logistical issues and improve plans for the 2027 general elections.

He said the commission is also working with transport unions, including the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, and Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, to enhance the movement of personnel and election materials.

Mr Ifogah explained that INEC is creating a transport matrix to tackle logistical challenges during the elections. He said the commission’s Registration Area Centre setup would help cut delays by moving election personnel and materials closer to polling stations the day before voting.

He said this means materials and personnel won’t need to travel from local government INEC offices to polling units on election morning.

The commission has also introduced digital platforms to track the movement of election materials. This includes when they leave, who is in charge, and when they reach their destinations.

“If it’s not done, it is escalated, and you find out who is responsible and actually what led to it. So these are things that probably were not happening before, that we have brought in place now,” he said.

But he admitted that getting 100 percent timely deployment could be tough due to unexpected issues, like rough terrain and other logistical problems.

Mr Ifogah added that INEC will replace officials if poor performance is traced to human or administrative factors.

His comments followed INEC releasing details of the latest voters’ register, which now has 103.43 million registered voters. The largest group is those aged 35 to 49, with 43.27 million registered voters, followed by those aged 18 to 34, who number 29.78 million.

The register also includes 232,658 persons with disabilities across 10 categories. Male voters make up 53.53 million, or 51.75 percent, while female voters total 49.90 million, or 48.25 percent.

Jake Epelle, founder of TAF Africa Foundation, who also spoke on the programme, noted that INEC’s preparations will be judged by how well they carry out their plans.

Mr Epelle said logistics is a key area that could affect the election’s credibility. He urged INEC to have backup plans for potential failures by transport providers.

He also stressed the need to focus more on persons with disabilities. He said the number recorded on the voters’ register should lead to more efforts to ensure they participate in the elections.

INEC stated that the register includes 232,658 persons with disabilities. Those under “others” make up the largest group, with 101,183 voters, or 43.49 percent of registered persons with disabilities.

Mr Epelle praised INEC’s plan to provide sign language interpreters for voters who are deaf.