2027: INEC ASSURES NIGERIANS OF READINESS FOR GENERAL ELECTIONS

INEC ASSURES NIGERIANS OF READINESS FOR GENERAL ELECTIONS

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured Nigerians of its preparedness to conduct the 2027 General Elections, despite delays in the passage of the amended Electoral Act by the National Assembly.

INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN), gave the assurance on Wednesday in Abuja during the Commission’s first quarterly consultative meeting with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).

Amupitan disclosed that the Commission has already finalised its election timetable and schedule of activities based on the provisions of the existing Electoral Act, stressing that INEC remains committed to delivering credible polls.

He noted, however, that amendments currently before the National Assembly could affect certain aspects of the timetable, depending on their scope and timing.

“While the Commission has submitted its recommendations to the National Assembly, the passage of the amendment may have implications for some items in our timetable. For now, INEC has no option but to operate within the framework of the subsisting Electoral Act,” he said.

The INEC chairman also appealed to CSOs to intensify mobilisation efforts in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to encourage residents to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the FCT Area Council elections scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026.

According to him, the ongoing PVC distribution exercise in the FCT will end on February 10, 2026, warning that eligible voters who fail to collect their cards risk being disenfranchised.

“We urge our partners in civil society to help mobilise residents of the FCT to collect their PVCs so that no one is excluded from participating in the elections,” Amupitan said.

Beyond voter mobilisation, he called on CSOs to actively monitor political parties’ conduct during campaigns and promote peaceful participation.

He urged stakeholders to discourage hate speech, vote buying, misinformation, disinformation, and violence, stressing the need for strict adherence to electoral laws.

Providing updates on preparations for the FCT Area Council elections, Amupitan said a total of 1,680,315 registered voters would participate across 2,822 polling units in Abaji, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, and Kwali.

He added that 570 candidates are contesting chairmanship, vice-chairmanship, and councillorship positions.

The INEC chairman said non-sensitive materials had been delivered and batched at Area Council offices, while recruitment and training of ad hoc staff had been completed. He added that BVAS devices were being configured for accreditation and result uploads to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal, with sensitive materials to be deployed a day before the elections.

Amupitan also announced a mock accreditation exercise scheduled for Saturday, February 7, 2026, in 289 selected polling units across the six Area Councils. He disclosed that 83 domestic and five foreign observer groups had been accredited to observe the polls.

In addition, he confirmed that bye-elections would be held the same day in Ahoada East II and Khana II State Constituencies in Rivers State, as well as Kano Municipal and Ungogo State Constituencies in Kano State.

According to him, over 648,000 registered voters will participate in the Rivers and Kano bye-elections combined, with ten political parties fielding candidates.

Looking ahead to 2027, the INEC chairman appealed to the National Assembly to expedite work on the Electoral Act amendment to enable early planning.

He also announced plans for a nationwide voter revalidation exercise ahead of the 2027 General Election, describing a credible voters’ register as the foundation of transparent elections.

“A credible register of voters remains the bedrock of free, fair, and transparent elections. Accordingly, the Commission will embark on a nationwide voter revalidation exercise ahead of the 2027 General Election,” Amupitan said.