The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has completed nine of the 14 major statutory activities outlined in its revised timetable for the 2027 general elections. INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this during a meeting with a pre-election fact-finding mission from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Abuja. The mission, led by former Vice-President of Sierra Leone, Victor Bockarie Foh, assessed INEC's level of preparedness for the 2027 general elections. Amupitan highlighted the completed milestones, including three phases of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise and the physical display of the Preliminary Register of Voters nationwide.
The INEC chairman further revealed that the commission had uploaded the preliminary register on its dedicated online portal for public scrutiny, enabling citizens to make claims and objections ahead of the certification of the final register on December 15, 2026. The National Register of Voters has exceeded 103 million, with the 2027 elections covering 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, 774 local government areas, 8,809 registration areas, and 176,846 polling units. The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections will hold on February 6, 2027.
Amupitan outlined INEC's preparations, including a field-based approach through zonal readiness assessment tours across the six geopolitical zones to assess logistics, infrastructure, and operational capacity. The commission has concluded assessments in the South-West, North-West, South-East, and North-East, with the South-South assessment set to take place in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. These tours enable direct engagement with electoral officers, inspection of facilities, and consultation with traditional and community leaders.
The INEC chairman discussed the role of technology in the electoral process, including the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for fingerprint and facial biometric accreditation. The commission's electronic result management systems, such as the eEC8A electronic verification platform, will enhance transparency in result management. The INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) will provide a platform for public verification of results transmitted from polling units.
Amupitan emphasized the importance of staff welfare, citing the approval of the Consolidated Election Management Body Salary Structure (CEMBSS) and a 150 per cent increase in state operational overheads. However, he warned that the commission would not tolerate administrative negligence, extortion, or partisan conduct by its personnel. INEC is working with security agencies under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to implement an intelligence-driven framework aimed at identifying and addressing potential threats.
The framework, known as the ICCES Tentacle, is designed to secure polling units, protect electoral personnel, particularly members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), and ensure that persons with disabilities and other voters can access polling units without hindrance. The head of the ECOWAS delegation, Foh, urged INEC to ensure strict compliance with every aspect of the electoral process, stressing the need to involve all stakeholders. He emphasized that the credibility of the elections depends on INEC's ability to follow all relevant processes and engage stakeholders adequately.
The ECOWAS delegation's visit aimed to assess INEC's preparations and readiness for the forthcoming general elections. The mission's report will likely influence the international community's perception of Nigeria's electoral process. INEC's efforts to ensure a transparent and credible electoral process are crucial in maintaining public trust and confidence in the country's democracy. The commission's progress in completing nine of the 14 electoral milestones demonstrates its commitment to a successful 2027 general elections.
Key points
- INEC completes 9 of 14 electoral milestones for 2027 general elections
- The commission's National Register of Voters has exceeded 103 million
- INEC adopts a field-based approach to assess logistics, infrastructure, and operational capacity
