INEC Pledges Neutrality Ahead of 2027 Elections, Says Voter Register Tops 103 Million

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) of its commitment to conducting credible, transparent and peaceful 2027 general elections.

The Commission also disclosed that Nigeria’s National Register of Voters has surpassed 103 million.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, gave the assurance while receiving the ECOWAS Pre-Election Fact-Finding Mission, led by former Sierra Leone Vice-President, Victor Bockarie Foh, at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

Amupitan described the 2027 elections as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s democratic journey since the return to civilian rule in 1999.

He noted that the successful conduct of the polls would have far-reaching implications for democratic stability and consolidation across West Africa.

The INEC chairman disclosed that the Commission had completed nine of the 14 major statutory activities outlined in its revised election timetable.

He said three phases of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise had been concluded, alongside the nationwide display of the Preliminary Register of Voters.

Providing details of the electoral arrangements, Amupitan said INEC would deploy personnel and technological resources across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The exercise will cover 774 Local Government Areas, 8,809 Registration Areas and 176,846 polling units.

He added that the Commission had conducted zonal readiness assessment tours across the country’s geopolitical zones to evaluate its level of preparedness.

On electoral technology, Amupitan reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to deploying the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for fingerprint and facial biometric accreditation.

He also highlighted the use of electronic result management systems, including the eEC8A electronic verification platform and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), to strengthen transparency and result verification.

On security, the INEC chairman said the Commission was collaborating with relevant security agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to ensure adequate protection before, during and after the elections.

Amupitan called for stronger collaboration with ECOWAS, particularly in deploying long-term and short-term election observers, sharing technical expertise and tackling emerging electoral challenges.

He identified electoral disinformation, logistics and inclusive voter education as some of the critical issues requiring attention ahead of the polls.

He also urged ECOWAS to sustain diplomatic engagement with political parties, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to promote peaceful campaigns and respect for democratic principles.

Speaking on behalf of the regional organisation, Foh explained that the fact-finding mission was part of ECOWAS’ established practice of assessing electoral preparedness in member states approaching general elections.

He said the exercise was being conducted in accordance with Article 31 of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, Article 53 of the ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework and relevant decisions of the Authority of Heads of State and Government.

Foh was accompanied by the Head of the ECOWAS Electoral Assistance Division and Permanent Secretary of ECONEC, Mr Serigne Mamadou Ka.

The delegation explained that its mission was designed to assess the preparedness of electoral stakeholders and identify areas where ECOWAS could provide technical and institutional support.

It disclosed that its engagements would extend beyond INEC to include political party leaders, government representatives, civil society organisations, security agencies and other relevant stakeholders.

The delegation stressed that the assessment was intended to provide a broader understanding of Nigeria’s political and institutional environment ahead of the 2027 elections.

Reaffirming the Commission’s independence, Amupitan declared that INEC under his leadership would not support any political party or candidate.

“INEC under my watch has no candidate and no political party,” he said.

“Our sole allegiance is to the rule of law, the sovereign will of the Nigerian electorate, and the democratic progress of our nation.”