The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has intensified preparations for the 2027 General Election, with Chairman, Prof. Joash O. Amupitan, SAN, directing officials to identify and address operational gaps that could affect the conduct and credibility of the polls.
Amupitan gave the directive on Monday in Kaduna during the North-West Zonal Interactive Meeting with INEC staff and a readiness assessment for the 2027 elections. The engagement forms part of the Commission’s six-zone nationwide assessment designed to evaluate preparedness, identify challenges and develop solutions ahead of election day.
Speaking at the meeting, the INEC Chairman stressed that the success of any election ultimately depends on what happens at the grassroots, particularly at Local Government Areas, Registration Area Centres and polling units. He urged officials to bring forward practical challenges affecting their operations and work with the Commission’s headquarters to resolve them before the elections.
Amupitan also warned electoral officials against partisan activities and administrative negligence, emphasising the importance of neutrality and professionalism in maintaining public confidence. He said INEC was drawing lessons from previous elections while strengthening its systems for the larger national assignment in 2027.
The Chairman disclosed that the three phases of Continuous Voter Registration had so far produced 10,772,421 new registrations, subject to verification through the Automated Biometric Identification System. He also directed officials to address bottlenecks affecting the distribution and collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), stressing that eligible voters should not be disenfranchised because of logistical challenges.
According to the Commission, collection of newly issued PVCs is scheduled to commence on October 9, with traditional institutions and other stakeholders expected to support public awareness and encourage eligible citizens to collect their cards.
INEC is also refining its technological systems, including voter verification, result transmission and Result Management Systems. The Commission highlighted the recently introduced eEC8A as part of its efforts to improve the management and transmission of election results.
The Commission said it was equally adopting a “Zero-Failure” logistics approach, covering the early deployment of election materials, transportation, security coordination and training of ad-hoc personnel.
Earlier, the Supervising National Commissioner for Kaduna, Mallam Kudu Haruna, said the zonal meetings were designed to give the Commission’s leadership an opportunity to engage directly with staff across the country and assess their level of preparedness.
Haruna disclosed that the Kaduna engagement began with a courtesy visit by the INEC Chairman to the Emir of Zazzau and Chairman of the Kaduna State Council of Traditional Rulers. The visit provided an opportunity to brief the traditional institution on preparations for the 2027 elections and seek its support in mobilising eligible Nigerians to participate in the electoral process.
Director of Planning and Monitoring, Helen Ajayi, said the exercise was aimed at assessing the preparedness of states and identifying operational challenges that must be addressed before the elections. She added that the meetings would also ensure that staff remained aligned with INEC’s Code of Conduct.
Representatives from the Commission’s Voter Education and Publicity, Voter Registry, ICT, Human Resources, and Election and Operations departments also briefed staff on their respective responsibilities. The meeting later proceeded to state-by-state situation reports, with officials from states across the North-West presenting their level of preparedness and highlighting logistical and operational issues requiring attention ahead of the 2027 polls.
