The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is finalising arrangements to enable Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to participate in the 2027 general elections. INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this during an engagement with the ECOWAS Pre-Election Fact-Finding Mission at the Commission's headquarters in Abuja. The chairman said the Commission is committed to ensuring that eligible Nigerians, including those displaced by insecurity and other emergencies, are not disenfranchised in the forthcoming elections.
The voter register currently contains more than 103 million registered voters. INEC has completed three phases of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise and concluded the physical display of the Preliminary Register of Voters at registration areas nationwide. The preliminary register has also been uploaded to INEC's dedicated online portal to enable registered voters to scrutinise their details and submit claims and objections before the final register is certified on December 15, 2026.
According to Amupitan, the Commission has so far completed nine of the 14 major statutory activities outlined in its revised timetable for the 2027 general elections. The Presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold on February 6, 2027. INEC has also conducted readiness assessment tours across the South-West, North-West, South-East and North-East geopolitical zones to evaluate preparations at the grassroots.
The assessment exercise will be extended to the South-South, with Port Harcourt, Rivers State, selected as the next destination. The visits are designed to inspect electoral infrastructure, assess logistics, interact with field officials and engage traditional and community leaders ahead of the polls. Amupitan said INEC is working with security agencies under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to protect voters, election officials and materials.
The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) will be used for fingerprint and facial biometric accreditation. INEC has also introduced an electronic result management system, including the newly introduced eEC8A electronic verification platform, as measures to strengthen transparency in the collation and verification of election results. Amupitan further disclosed that INEC is working with security agencies to identify potential threats and strengthen security across the country's 176,846 polling units.
The Commission has introduced an intelligence-driven security framework known as the ICCES Tentacle to identify potential threats and strengthen security. Amupitan specifically identified the protection of ad-hoc election personnel, particularly members of the National Youth Service Corps, as a priority, alongside ensuring access to polling facilities for persons with disabilities. The chairman also called for continued cooperation with ECOWAS in election observation, voter education, combating electoral disinformation and addressing logistical challenges.
Amupitan assured the delegation that INEC has no preferred candidate or political party, declaring that the Commission's allegiance remains with the rule of law and the will of Nigerian voters. The ECOWAS Pre-Election Fact-Finding Mission was led by former Sierra Leone Vice-President Victor Bockarie Foh, with former ECOWAS Executive Secretary and former Speaker of the Sierra Leone Parliament, Dr Abbas Chernor Bundu, serving as co-head. The delegation is engaging relevant stakeholders as part of its assessment of Nigeria's preparedness for the 2027 general elections.
Key points
- INEC finalises plans for IDPs to vote in 2027 elections.
- INEC begins cleaning up 103m voter register.
- INEC introduces new security measures to protect voters and election officials.
