…as INEC unveils 2027 Election blueprint
From David Onuoja, Abuja
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, has on Friday assured the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the international community, that the 2027 General Election, will be transparent, peaceful and credible, declaring that the Commission has “no candidate and nor political party”.
Amupitan gave the assurance at the INEC National Headquarters, Abuja, during a courtesy visit by the ECOWAS Pre-Election Fact-Finding Mission led by former Vice-President of Sierra Leone, Victor Bockarie Foh, and co-led by former Executive Secretary of ECOWAS, Dr. Abbas Chernor Bundu.
Welcoming the delegation, which included the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Ambassador Francess Piagie Alghali, the INEC Chairman, described Nigeria as a founding member and steadfast pillar of ECOWAS, noting that the country’s democratic stability is tied to the collective peace and prosperity of West Africa. He said the presence of the high-level mission, composed of seasoned statesmen, underscores the importance attached to Nigeria’s 2027 polls.
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The INEC Chairman disclosed that the 2027 election will be the largest in Nigeria’s democratic history, with the National Register of Voters now standing at over 103 million citizens. Saying, the Commission will deploy personnel and technology across 36 states and the FCT, covering 774 Local Government Areas, 8,809 Registration Areas (Wards) and 176,846 Polling Units.
On preparations question asked, Professor Amupitan said INEC has moved away from administrative assumptions to a hands-on, field-first approach, conducting Zonal Readiness Assessment Tours across the country. He said assessments have been concluded in the South-West, North-West, South-East and North-East, with the South-South edition scheduled for Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to inspect logistics and engage field staff and traditional leaders.
Addressing the four pillars requested by the Mission, the Chairman said out of 14 major statutory milestones in the Revised Timetable for the 2027 election, nine have been successfully executed on schedule. He added that the Commission has concluded three phases of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) and the physical display of the Preliminary Register of Voters nationwide, with the register also published on http://display.inecnigeria.org for public scrutiny, ahead of certification of the Final Register on 15th December 2026.
On technology, he said INEC has optimised its hardware and software suite, with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) to be deployed for dual biometric accreditation and the newly introduced eEC8A electronic verification platform to guarantee transparent transmission of results via the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
The INEC boss also highlighted institutional welfare reforms, including approval for the landmark Consolidated Election Management Body Salary Structure (CEMBSS) pulling staff out of the regular civil service scale, and a 150 per cent increase in state operational overheads. He however, warned that the Commission will continue to maintain zero tolerance for negligence, extortion or partisan compromise, backed by mandatory Oaths of Neutrality under Section 26 of the Electoral Act 2026.
On security, Amupitan also said INEC, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) with the Police, DSS, NSCDC and Armed Forces, has operationalised an intelligence-driven architecture known as the “ICCES Tentacle” framework, which uses early risk-mapping to secure polling units and protect ad-hoc staff, particularly NYSC members, and ensure access for Persons with Disabilities.
He solicited deeper ECOWAS partnership in three areas: robust deployment of long-term and short-term observation missions, peer-learning on combating electoral disinformation and managing logistics in complex terrains, and diplomatic solidarity to ensure peace accords resonate across the sub-region.
Concluding this, he stressed that credible elections are a collective enterprise involving parties, civil society, media and security agencies, and pledged that INEC under his watch will remain loyal only to the rule of law and the sovereign will of Nigerian voters.
Earlier, the head of the delegation, Victor Bockarie Foh, and co-led by former Executive Secretary of ECOWAS, Dr. Abbas Chernor Bundu said they are in INEC to find out the level of preparedness and readiness of Independent National Electoral Commission ahead of the upcoming 2027 general elections.
Bockarie Foh, warned that INEC must ensure every aspect of the processes are followed and that no stone should be left on turned in carrying everybody along.
