INEC Prepares for 2027 Elections, Warns Officials Against Bias

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is getting ready for the 2027 General Election. The Chairman, Joash Amupitan, spoke to officials in the North-west, telling them to fix any gaps in operations. He emphasized the need for neutrality and warned that nothing should weaken the credibility of the upcoming elections.

Mr Amupitan, who is a professor, gave these instructions on Monday in Kaduna during the North-west Zonal Interactive Meeting with Staff. This meeting is part of INEC's six-zone national tour. The tour is designed to assess how ready the commission is for the elections. It also aims to spot challenges in field operations and find practical solutions before the polls.

While opening the zonal meeting, Mr Amupitan said their presence in Kaduna is not just for show. It is an effort to strengthen the country’s electoral process. He noted that the success of elections happens mainly at the grassroots levels. This includes Local Government Areas, Registration Area Centres, and polling units where electoral officials meet directly with voters.

"The true success of any election is not decided solely in the meeting rooms of our headquarters in Abuja. It is decided in the field," he said. He encouraged staff to share the real challenges they face in election administration. They should work with the headquarters to come up with solutions before election day.

Mr Amupitan mentioned that the commission is learning from past elections while preparing for the larger national task in 2027. He also warned electoral officials against being biased and careless. He said the neutral and professional behavior of field workers is vital for public trust in the electoral process.

He added that there have been three phases of Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) that led to 10,772,421 new registrations. These registrations are subject to verification by the Automated Biometric Identification System. He called for better distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) at the Local Government Area level. This way, eligible citizens will not miss out due to poor logistics.

Mr Amupitan also said that INEC is improving its technology. This includes systems for voter verification and result transmission, as well as the Result Management Systems, such as the new eEC8A. The commission is adopting a “Zero-Failure” approach to logistics. This covers early deployment of materials, movement, security coordination, and training for temporary staff.

Earlier, Kudu Haruna, the Supervising National Commissioner for Kaduna, welcomed the chairman. He said the zonal meetings are meant for the commission's leaders to connect with staff despite their busy schedules. This is important as the 2027 elections get closer.

He noted that the Kaduna meeting started with a courtesy visit by the chairman to the Emir of Zazzau, who is also the Chairman of the Kaduna State Council of Traditional Rulers. This visit gave INEC a chance to update the traditional ruler about the 2027 elections and ask for support in getting eligible Nigerians to join the electoral process.

Mr Haruna told the Emir that the collection of newly issued Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) would start on 9 October. He asked traditional rulers to encourage eligible citizens to collect their cards and exercise their right to vote.

He is confident that the Kaduna meeting will help the commission’s leadership improve election administration before the 2027 national elections. Helen Ajayi, the Director of Planning and Monitoring, explained that the purpose of the zonal exercise is to check how prepared the states are and identify any challenges before the elections.

She added that the sessions aim to keep staff aligned with the Commission’s Code of Conduct before the elections. Directors and representatives from various departments shared information on their responsibilities. They discussed what staff need to know in preparation for the 2027 elections.

The meeting then moved to reports from each state. Representatives from states in the North-west shared their levels of preparedness. They also highlighted operational and logistical issues that need to be addressed before the polls.