By our Reporter
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured Nigerians and the international community of its commitment to neutrality, transparency and the integrity of the ballot ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, gave the assurance on Tuesday at a World Press Conference and National Stakeholders’ Meeting in Abuja to mark 100 days to the first ballot in the 2027 elections.
Amupitan said the Commission had moved from planning to execution, with election materials already in production, technology undergoing quality assurance, the voter register finalised for public display and personnel undergoing systematic training.
He said the 100-day milestone was not merely a countdown but a call to action as the Commission entered the final phase of preparations aimed at making the election a benchmark for transparency, integrity and peaceful democratic participation.
According to him, since he assumed office in October 2025, INEC had conducted several off-cycle elections, including the Anambra, Ekiti and Osun governorship elections and the FCT Area Council polls, alongside federal and state bye-elections.
He said reports from local and international observers indicated that the elections met the benchmark of electoral integrity, while serving as testing grounds for structural improvements, including early deployment of personnel and sensitive materials, improved logistics and intelligence-led security arrangements.
On voter registration, Amupitan disclosed that 10,772,421 new voters were registered during the three phases of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise, bringing the National Register of Voters to about 103 million.
He said the register would be displayed for public scrutiny from October 9 to 15, 2026, while distribution of Phase One Permanent Voter Cards to Local Government centres would commence on October 9.
The INEC chairman said 18 of the 22 registered political parties had submitted 36 presidential and vice-presidential candidates, while the final list of National Assembly candidates was published on September 12. He added that the final lists for governorship and State Houses of Assembly candidates would be published on October 10.
On election technology, Amupitan said production of 57,000 new Bimodal Voter Accreditation System devices was at an advanced stage, with some already delivered. He added that procurement for ballot papers and result sheets was also nearing completion.
He disclosed that a six-day stress test of configured BVAS devices would hold from October 23 to 28, followed by a nationwide mock accreditation exercise in November.
The chairman also revealed that INEC had established an Artificial Intelligence Division under its Information and Communication Technology Department, with the technology operating under mandatory human oversight.
On logistics, he said the Commission had renewed its agreement with transport unions to mobilise more than 100,000 vehicles and 4,000 boats for the movement of election personnel and materials.
Amupitan said sensitive materials would be moved from the Central Bank of Nigeria vaults to Local Government Areas 72 hours before the polls and distributed to all 8,838 Registration Area Centres by 4 p.m. on the eve of the election to facilitate the opening of polling units at 7:30 a.m.
He said INEC would require 707,384 ad hoc personnel for each of the two election days—January 16 and February 6, 2027—bringing the total number of engagements to 1,414,768 across 176,846 polling units.
He noted that recruitment through the INEC Portal for Recruitment of Election Staff opened on September 18 and would close at midnight on November 18, 2026.
On security, Amupitan said the Commission, through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, would commence joint training for electoral security personnel. He added that monitoring and undercover surveillance teams would work with the EFCC, ICPC and NFIU to combat vote-buying.
The chairman also warned against disinformation, noting that generative artificial intelligence, voice cloning and deepfake technology could be used to fabricate statements by election officials and manipulate result sheets.
He urged media organisations to establish fact-checking desks, verify information with INEC before publication and refrain from announcing privately collated election results.
“In national elections, it is far more important to be right than to be first,” Amupitan said.
Meanwhile, stakeholders at the meeting pledged their support for the Commission and called on all actors to uphold the credibility of the electoral process.
Representing the Inspector-General of Police, an Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Alyonu Francis Idu, said the police were conducting clearance operations in Kogi, Niger, Benue and Taraba states to stabilise security flashpoints ahead of the election.
The Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, Dr Yusuf Dantalle, commended INEC over the recently concluded Osun governorship election and urged officials to remain neutral and avoid taking sides with political parties or candidates.
Similarly, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, Senator Simon Lalong, reaffirmed the National Assembly’s commitment to strengthening the electoral framework, while the Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Hon. Adebayo Balogun, urged INEC to ensure prompt enforcement of constitutional and electoral provisions to minimise avoidable litigation.
The European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mingot, described INEC’s responsibility as “Herculean” and called on stakeholders to support the Commission, particularly through adequate funding.
Mingot said the European Union would deploy an expert electoral mission to monitor preparations, the conduct of the elections and their aftermath.
In her vote of thanks, the Secretary to the Commission, Mrs Rose Oriaran-Anthony, said INEC would consider the recommendations made by stakeholders and translate them into operational plans.
She described the engagement as a recommitment to the Nigerian project, stressing that the 2027 General Election belonged to all Nigerians and was not solely the responsibility of the electoral commission.
