INEC BEGINS 100-DAY COUNTDOWN, ASSURES NIGERIANS OF CREDIBLE 2027 ELECTIONS

Oru Leonard

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured Nigerians and the international community that it remains committed to conducting a neutral, transparent and credible 2027 General Election, declaring that preparations have now moved from planning to full-scale execution.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, gave the assurance on Tuesday at a World Press Conference and National Stakeholders’ Meeting in Abuja to mark 100 days to the first ballot in the 2027 elections.

Amupitan said the Commission was entering the final phase of preparations, with election materials already in production, technology undergoing quality assurance, the voters’ register ready for public scrutiny and election personnel being trained.

“As we begin this 100-day sprint to the 2027 General Election, we reassure the nation and the international community of our total commitment to neutrality, operational excellence, and the sacred integrity of the ballot box,” he said.

The INEC chairman described the 100-day milestone as more than a countdown, saying it represented a call to action for all stakeholders to work towards an election that would become a benchmark for transparency, integrity and peaceful democratic transition.

He said since assuming office on October 23, 2025, the Commission had conducted several off-cycle elections, including governorship elections in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun States, FCT Area Council elections and a number of federal and state bye-elections.

According to him, reports from local and international observers indicated that the elections met established benchmarks of electoral integrity, while providing an opportunity for INEC to test new operational measures.

These measures, he said, included the early deployment of ad hoc personnel and sensitive materials, improved logistics and intelligence-led security arrangements.

Amupitan disclosed that the three phases of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise produced 10,772,421 new voters, taking the National Register of Voters to about 103 million.

He said the register would be displayed nationwide from October 9 to 15, 2026, to allow Nigerians scrutinise the details and raise objections where necessary.

The distribution of Phase One Permanent Voter Cards to Local Government centres, he added, would commence on Friday, October 9.

The chairman also disclosed that 18 of the 22 registered political parties submitted 36 presidential and vice-presidential candidates.

He said the final list of National Assembly candidates was published on September 12, while the final list of governorship and State House of Assembly candidates would be released on October 10.

On election technology, Amupitan said production of 57,000 new Bimodal Voter Accreditation System devices was at an advanced stage, with some already delivered.

He added that procurement for ballot papers and result sheets was nearing completion.

To strengthen logistics, the Commission has renewed its agreements with the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria and Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria.

The arrangements, he said, would facilitate the deployment of more than 100,000 vehicles and 4,000 boats for the transportation of election personnel and materials.

Sensitive materials, according to the chairman, would be moved from Central Bank of Nigeria vaults to Local Government Areas 72 hours before election day and delivered to all 8,838 Registration Area Centres by 4pm on the eve of the election.

The objective, he said, was to ensure that polling units opened at 7:30am nationwide.

Amupitan further disclosed that the Commission would conduct a six-day stress test of all configured BVAS devices from October 23 to 28, 2026.

A nationwide mock accreditation exercise would follow in November.

He also announced the establishment of an Artificial Intelligence Division within the Commission’s ICT Department, stressing that its operations would remain subject to mandatory human oversight.

On electoral security, the INEC chairman said the Commission, through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, would commence joint training for thousands of electoral security personnel.

Joint monitoring and undercover surveillance teams would also be deployed in collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit to combat vote-buying.

He warned that offenders would face arrest and prosecution under the Electoral Act 2026.

The Commission, he said, would require 707,384 ad hoc personnel for each of the two election days — January 16 and February 6, 2027 — bringing the total number of engagements to 1,414,768 across 176,846 polling units.

Recruitment through the INEC Portal for Recruitment of Election Staff opened on September 18 and would close at midnight on November 18.

Amupitan also expressed concern over the growing threat posed by disinformation, particularly the use of generative artificial intelligence, voice cloning and deepfake technology to manipulate election information.

He urged media organisations toî establish fact-checking mechanisms, verify information with INEC before publication and refrain from announcing privately collated election results.

“In national elections, it is far more important to be right than to be first,” he said.

The Commission’s Media Accreditation Portal, he added, would become operational before the end of October, urging media organisations intending to cover the elections to apply early.

Representing the Inspector-General of Police, an Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Alyonu Francis Idu, said the Nigeria Police Force was conducting clearance operations in Kogi, Niger, Benue and Taraba States to address security flashpoints ahead of the elections.

Idu acknowledged that the security situation had created “pockets of fear here and there,” but said the police were working to stabilise affected areas and create an environment conducive to peaceful elections.

He said the police would review their pre-election security operations in November and provide an update to Nigerians by the end of December.

“We must use legitimate authority, not power, to regulate the conduct of the election,” he said.

The Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, Dr. Yusuf Dantalle, commended INEC over the recently concluded Osun governorship election, describing it as an example of what Nigerians expect in the 2027 general elections.

Dantalle, however, cautioned INEC officials against partisan conduct and urged the Commission to maintain its neutrality.

He also called on political parties, security agencies and the media to play their respective roles responsibly, warning that the 2027 election would come and go, but Nigeria would remain.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, Senator Simon Lalong, reaffirmed the National Assembly’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s electoral framework.

He said credible elections remained a shared responsibility involving INEC, political parties, security agencies, the media, civil society organisations and voters.

Similarly, the Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Hon. Adebayo Balogun, urged INEC to enforce constitutional and electoral provisions promptly to reduce avoidable litigation arising from the polls.

The European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Amb. Gautier Mingot, described the task before INEC as “Herculean” and called on all stakeholders to support the Commission, particularly through adequate funding.

Mingot disclosed that the EU would deploy an expert electoral mission to monitor preparations for the elections, the conduct of the polls and the post-election period.

In her vote of thanks, the Secretary to INEC, Mrs. Rose Oriaran-Anthony, said the Commission had taken note of the recommendations and concerns raised by stakeholders.

She pledged that INEC would immediately begin translating the recommendations into operational plans and frameworks.

According to her, the 2027 General Election would not belong to INEC alone but to every Nigerian.

“It will be owned by you, by all Nigerians, not just conducted by the Commission,” she said.