The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of Nigeria has completed nine out of 14 statutory milestones on its revised timetable for the 2027 general elections. INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, presented the update to an Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) pre-election fact-finding delegation at the commission's headquarters in Abuja on Friday, 30 October. The completed activities include three phases of Continuous Voter Registration and the nationwide physical display of the Preliminary Register of Voters.
According to Amupitan, the voter register now contains more than 103 million voters. INEC has also published the preliminary database on its dedicated portal, allowing Nigerians to examine entries and raise claims or objections before the commission certifies the final register on 15 December. The verification process is currently underway, with over 4,800 claims and about 600 objections received as of Thursday, 29 October. Most claims concern corrections and other minor issues.
Amupitan said the commission would address valid submissions before final certification. He also outlined the role of the new eEC8A platform in verifying results, alongside the INEC Result Viewing Portal, through which the public can examine polling-unit returns. The commission plans a nationwide mock accreditation exercise in November to test accreditation and results transmission across the states.
INEC's official election calendar schedules the presidential and National Assembly polls for Saturday, 16 January 2027, while Governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections will follow on Saturday, 6 February. Amupitan said the nationwide exercise would require personnel and equipment across the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory, covering 774 local government areas, 8,809 registration areas, and 176,846 polling units.
To assess operational requirements, INEC has undertaken inspections across the geopolitical zones, examining facilities, infrastructure, and arrangements for deploying electoral materials and personnel. Amupitan said INEC had completed assessments in the South-West, North-West, South-East, and North-East, with Port Harcourt, Rivers State, set to host the South-South leg.
Security planning is also underway, with INEC coordinating with security agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security. The committee's ICCES Tentacle framework is an intelligence-led arrangement for identifying risks early and preparing responses before polling begins. Its objectives include protecting polling locations and electoral personnel, particularly National Youth Service Corps members.
ECOWAS' former Vice-President, Victor Bockarie Foh, led the delegation and stated that the mission aimed to assess preparations and identify areas where ECOWAS could assist INEC and other electoral stakeholders. The delegation will engage with political parties, government representatives, civil society organisations, and security agencies to examine the wider electoral environment.
Key points
- INEC completes nine statutory milestones on its revised timetable for the 2027 general elections.
- The voter register now contains more than 103 million voters.
- INEC plans a nationwide mock accreditation exercise in November to test accreditation and results transmission.
