ECOWAS Pre-Election Fact-Finding Mission: INEC Receives Over 4,800 Claims, 600 Objections on Preliminary Voters’ Register

Oru Leonard 

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has received more than 4,800 claims and about 600 objections following the display of its Preliminary Register of Voters ahead of the 2027 General Election.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, disclosed this on Friday, October 30, 2026, while receiving the ECOWAS Pre-Election Fact-Finding Mission at the Commission’s National Headquarters in Abuja.

Amupitan explained that the figures, recorded as of Thursday, comprised mainly requests for corrections and other minor issues identified during the display of the register at registration areas across the country.

He said the objections were submitted through electoral officers and Resident Electoral Commissioners from various wards, adding that the online display of the register had also helped to confirm some complaints previously received by the Commission.

The INEC Chairman assured Nigerians that all valid claims and objections would be addressed before the certification of the Final Register of Voters scheduled for December 15, 2026.

He noted that with the register now containing more than 103 million registered voters, the Commission was committed to eliminating discrepancies and ensuring its accuracy before the final release.

On preparations for the 2027 elections, Amupitan announced that INEC would conduct a nationwide mock accreditation exercise in November to simultaneously test its accreditation and election result transmission systems across the states.

He also disclosed that the Commission had introduced an additional safeguard to authenticate election results at polling units before transmission to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).

According to him, rather than introducing an entirely new technology within the available timeframe, the Commission decided to strengthen and improve the existing system.

The Chairman further revealed that INEC had undertaken zonal readiness assessments in Lagos, Kaduna, Enugu and Gombe, covering the South-West, North-West, South-East and North-East geopolitical zones, respectively.

He said the North-Central zone would be visited next week, noting that the assessments had already resulted in adjustments to deployment plans, particularly in areas affected by difficult terrain and security challenges.

Reflecting on his first year in office, Amupitan said the Commission had conducted four major off-cycle elections and 16 by-elections since his assumption of office on October 23, 2025.

He highlighted the Anambra State governorship election, conducted two weeks after his appointment, which he said was concluded and announced within one day, compared with approximately five days in 2022.

He added that lessons from the Anambra election informed subsequent improvements in the FCT election in February, the Ekiti governorship election in June and the Osun governorship election held on August 8, 2026.

“For us, every election provides its own lesson,” he said.

On staff welfare, the INEC Chairman disclosed that the Commission had secured approval for the Consolidated Election Management Body Salary Structure (CEMBSS), expressing optimism that improved staff welfare would strengthen institutional independence and reduce susceptibility to political interference.

He also cited improved security arrangements during the Osun governorship election, saying threats and violence recorded before the exercise reduced following intensified monitoring and security interventions in identified volatile areas.

“Post-election violence has drastically reduced,” he said.

Amupitan further disclosed that the Commission was finalising arrangements to accommodate Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the electoral process to ensure that no eligible Nigerian was excluded from voting.

He called for stronger collaboration with the international community, particularly in peer learning, technical exchanges, combating sophisticated electoral disinformation, improving election logistics and strengthening inclusive voter education.

The INEC Chairman also welcomed the deployment of long-term and short-term ECOWAS election observation missions, describing their independent assessments as important to strengthening international confidence in Nigeria’s electoral and democratic processes.

He assured the ECOWAS delegation that the Commission would remain impartial throughout the electoral process.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission under my watch has no candidate and no political party,” he declared.

He added that Nigeria and Africa must demonstrate their capacity to manage democratic processes and conduct credible elections independently.

The ECOWAS Pre-Election Fact-Finding Mission is led by former Vice-President of Sierra Leone, Victor Bockarie Foh, while former ECOWAS Executive Secretary and former Speaker of the Parliament of Sierra Leone, Dr Abbas Chernor Bundu, serves as Co-Head of Mission.

Also present was the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Ambassador Francess Piagie Alghali.

Speaking earlier, Foh explained that the mission was deployed pursuant to the ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, Article 53C of the ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework and the decision of the Authority of Heads of State and Government to undertake pre-election fact-finding missions in member states holding elections.

He said the mission would assess Nigeria’s preparedness for the 2027 General Election, engage political parties, government officials, INEC, civil society organisations and other stakeholders, as well as obtain relevant legal documents governing the electoral process.

Dr Bundu said the mission was also expected to identify areas where the ECOWAS Commission could provide support to INEC and other stakeholders to strengthen the credibility of the elections.

INEC Upholds 66 Petitions on Governorship, State Assembly Candidate Lists

Meanwhile, INEC has upheld 66 petitions following its review of complaints arising from the publication of the final lists of Governorship and State Houses of Assembly candidates for the 2027 General Election.

The Commission disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday, October 29, 2026, signed by the Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna.

According to the statement, the complaints followed the publication of the final candidates’ lists on October 10, 2026, and bordered on the omission of political parties, wrongful inclusion of candidates whose names were not contained in their parties’ membership registers and alleged multiple nominations.

INEC said it received 69 governorship-related petitions from 12 political parties across 26 states, out of which 41 were successful and 28 unsuccessful.

For the State Houses of Assembly, the Commission received 61 petitions from 11 political parties across 11 states. Of these, 25 succeeded while 36 were declined.

The Commission explained that candidates and political parties whose complaints were found to have merit would be reflected in the updated lists on its website.

It added that names wrongly published were removed where verification established that the affected candidates were not contained in their parties’ membership registers or that their nominations violated applicable legal provisions.

INEC reiterated its commitment to transparency, accountability and the credibility of the electoral process.

INEC Cooperative Presidents Meet in Jos for 2026 AGM

In another development, Presidents of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Staff Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society from across the country have converged on Jos, Plateau State, for their 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM).

The meeting, held at Crispan Hotel, Rayfield, Jos, was themed, “Building Sustainable Co-operative Business for Generational Wealth: The Courage to Delay Gratification Today for Prosperity Tomorrow.”

The gathering provided an opportunity for participants to assess the Society’s performance, exchange ideas and develop strategies for strengthening its operations and ensuring sustainable benefits for members.

Among the dignitaries at the event was the Chairperson of the Health and Welfare Committee, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, who was represented by the Director of Administration, Mr Alozie Alphonsus.

Also present were the Plateau State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Samuel Egwu; Chairman of the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC), Mr Plangi Daniel; and the Director of Cooperatives in Plateau State, Mrs Bot.

Other participants included heads of departments of INEC in Plateau State and cooperative presidents from different parts of the country.