From David Onuoja, Abuja
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has said that, preparations for next year’s general elections are progressing steadily, with nine of its scheduled activities already completed.
INEC National Commissioner, Professor Rhoda Gumus, who received the Kenyan delegation on behalf of the Chairman, Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Thursday, November 12, 2026, at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja while receiving the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of Kenya.
The delegation, which is in Nigeria on a benchmarking visit, was led by the Kenyan High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Isaac Keen Parashina.
Professor Gumus, said the Chairman was out of the country at Chatham House in the United Kingdom, where he is presenting the Commission’s preparations for the elections.
Related News
She said the Commission had lined up a number of activities ahead of the polls and was preparing for the next phase, adding that the Chairman recently toured the six geopolitical zones to assess their level of preparedness, identify challenges and agree on solutions. The tour, she said, was concluded last week.
“We can see from our tour that we are really going towards the election proper,” she said.
Professor Gumus also said that all non-sensitive materials were almost ready, adding that some had already been transported to some of the zones on Thursday, while Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) had been produced and most states had received the first and second batches, with collection by registered voters ongoing.
She stressed the importance of PVC collection, noting that voters without their cards would face a major obstacle on election day, and added that capacity building for staff, both at headquarters and in the states, was ongoing, as was the procurement and deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices.
On diaspora voting, which featured in the discussions, Professor Gumus said the provision was not captured in the extant electoral law and the Commission could not proceed with it until the law was amended.
Gumus said the Commission had made arrangements for its directors to hold an interactive session with the Kenyan delegation, during which they would present papers on the operations of their respective departments, telling the visitors, “We are open to questions.”
Earlier, Mr. Parashina thanked the Commission for granting the delegation audience despite its tight schedule ahead of the elections expected in January and February next year, describing the visit as a sign of friendship between both countries and noting that Kenya would hold its own general elections in August next year.
He said the IEBC team was in Nigeria to learn from the Commission’s experience as Kenya sought to expand voting rights, particularly for Kenyans living abroad, and to map out how special interest groups could be accommodated in the voting process, adding that Kenyans in about 12 countries voted in the last general election, with plans to extend the arrangement to about 26 countries in line with constitutional and court requirements.
