INEC Chairman Directs CVR Audit, PVC Collection Overhaul in South-East
Oru Leonard
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has directed a comprehensive review of Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) records in the South-East and the removal of all bottlenecks hindering the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Amupitan gave the directive in Enugu on Tuesday during the Commission’s South-East Zonal Interactive Meeting with Staff and Readiness Assessment for the 2027 General Election.
He said the Commission was determined to ensure that no eligible voter was denied the opportunity to participate in the elections because of administrative lapses or logistical challenges.
According to him, the review of voter registration records and the resolution of PVC collection problems are among INEC’s immediate operational priorities in the zone.
“Our objective is uncompromising: no eligible citizen who registered should be disenfranchised by administrative or logistical friction,” the INEC chairman declared.
He disclosed that Nigeria’s National Register of Voters had exceeded 103 million, underscoring the scale of preparations required for the forthcoming general elections.
Amupitan said the Commission registered 10,772,421 new voters across three phases of the CVR exercise conducted between August 2025 and July 2026.
He explained that the first phase, which ran from August 25 to December 10, 2025, recorded 2,611,266 registrants, while the second phase, conducted between January 5 and April 17, 2026, produced 4,121,835 new voters.
The third phase, held from May 11 to July 26, 2026, registered another 3,867,997 citizens.
He noted that the figures remained subject to final verification and deduplication through the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) at the Commission’s National Headquarters.
The INEC chairman also highlighted the introduction of an online voter registration portal during the third phase, describing it as an innovation designed to reduce the barriers of distance and time associated with voter registration.
He added that the Commission had activated printable PVC technology in line with Section 18(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 to improve access to voters’ cards and reduce delays in their collection.
Amupitan reminded INEC officials that the 2027 general elections would involve more than 103 million registered voters across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, with 176,846 polling units nationwide.
He said the Presidential and National Assembly elections were scheduled for Saturday, January 16, 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections would take place on Saturday, February 6, 2027.
He stressed that the statutory timetable remained fixed, requiring all departments and state offices to intensify preparations for the polls.
According to him, nine of the 14 major statutory milestones outlined in the revised election timetable had been completed following a World Press Conference and National Stakeholders’ Engagement held in Abuja.
The Enugu meeting was the third stop on INEC’s nationwide readiness assessment tour, following engagements in Lagos on September 7 and Kaduna on September 28, 2026.
The chairman said his physical presence in Enugu, alongside National Commissioners, technical aides and directors from the headquarters, reflected the Commission’s commitment to direct engagement with personnel responsible for election operations at the grassroots.
He noted that election credibility depended not only on decisions taken at the headquarters in Abuja but also on the effectiveness of officials working in the South-East’s 95 local government areas, registration area centres and polling units.
The INEC chairman identified public distrust, voter apathy, misinformation and disinformation as major challenges confronting the Commission ahead of the 2027 elections.
He warned that fake news, unverified reports and manipulated videos could spread rapidly across digital platforms, potentially undermining public confidence in the electoral process.
Amupitan, however, said the Commission would counter such threats through transparency, prompt official communication and strict adherence to operational procedures.
He maintained that the conduct and professionalism of electoral personnel would play a decisive role in protecting the Commission’s credibility and preventing administrative failures from fuelling false narratives.
He also commended INEC staff for their contributions to recent electoral exercises, including the Osun State off-cycle governorship election, elections in Anambra and Ekiti states, Federal Capital Territory Area Council polls, and 16 federal and state bye-elections.
He urged the workforce not to become complacent over previous achievements, noting that public commendation for past performances would increase expectations for future elections.
On election security, Amupitan said INEC had strengthened its collaboration with security agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).
He explained that the Commission was deploying Election Risk Management tools and intelligence-driven strategies to identify and address potential threats to electoral operations.
The chairman disclosed that intelligence provided by the Department of State Services (DSS) had helped uncover and arrest individuals allegedly involved in a plot targeting ad hoc election personnel, particularly members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
He said the suspects would be prosecuted, adding that the Commission planned to convene a security conference soon to address emerging threats and strengthen preparations for the 2027 elections.
Amupitan said INEC was refining its result management systems, including the newly introduced eEC8A electronic verification platform, to improve transparency and verification throughout the result collation process.
He said the Commission intended to ensure that election results could be traced and verified from polling units to the national collation centre through its electronic systems, including the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
On logistics, he disclosed that new operational pickup vehicles had been procured and distributed to state offices and local government areas nationwide as part of measures to prevent logistical failures during elections.
He added that the Commission was procuring official vehicles for administrative secretaries and had established the Electoral Logistics Committee (E-Loc), chaired by Rear Admiral Jamila Malafa (Rtd), to strengthen election logistics management.
The chairman also emphasised staff training, saying INEC was combining conventional training programmes with information and communication technology-based tools to prepare permanent and ad hoc personnel for their responsibilities.
He warned that partisan conduct, administrative negligence, extortion and ethical violations would not be tolerated under his leadership.
Amupitan further reminded officials of the provisions of Section 26 of the Electoral Act 2026 concerning the oath of loyalty and neutrality required of electoral personnel and participating security officials.
He urged staff to prioritise the law above personal interests and political considerations in the discharge of their duties.
The chairman also highlighted measures introduced to improve staff welfare and operational capacity.
He said the Commission established the Consolidated Election Management Body Salary Structure (CEMBSS), moving its workforce out of the regular Civil Service structure with effect from January 1, 2026.
According to him, INEC is at an advanced stage of implementing a new salary and welfare package for staff, Commission members and Resident Electoral Commissioners.
He added that monthly overhead allocations to state offices had been increased by 150 per cent with effect from July 1, 2026.
Amupitan said the measures were intended to provide electoral personnel with the financial resources, equipment, technology and logistical support required to deliver credible elections.
He nevertheless stressed that improved working conditions must be matched by integrity, neutrality, discipline and operational excellence.
Addressing the participants, the chairman urged electoral officials to understand the law, document their actions, remain impartial and protect the integrity of the electoral process.
He said public perception of INEC was largely shaped by the conduct of its personnel at polling units and other election locations.
“To the voter in a rural ward or an urban centre, INEC is not the Chairman in Abuja; INEC is you,” he said.
Declaring the meeting open, Amupitan expressed confidence in the Commission’s preparedness for the 2027 general elections, insisting that officials must remain focused on delivering credible polls.
The meeting was attended by National Commissioners, Resident Electoral Commissioners from South-East states, the Acting Director-General of The Electoral Institute, directors from the National Headquarters, administrative secretaries, technical aides, electoral officers, heads of department, security agency representatives and members of the media.
