INEC Wraps Up Nationwide Election Readiness Tour, Urges Traditional Rulers to Curb Violence Ahead of 2027 Polls
Oru Leonard
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has intensified preparations for the 2027 General Election, announcing the completion of its nationwide operational readiness assessment and seeking greater collaboration with traditional institutions to ensure peaceful and credible polls.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, disclosed this on Friday in Lokoja, Kogi State, during the North-Central Zonal Interactive Meeting with Commission staff, which marked the conclusion of the nationwide readiness tour.
The Chairman revealed that the Commission had successfully implemented nine of the 14 major statutory milestones contained in the 2027 election timetable, assuring Nigerians that preparations were progressing steadily.
The exercise, which covered all six geopolitical zones, was designed to assess operational preparedness, identify logistical gaps, address local challenges and strengthen the Commission’s capacity to deliver credible elections.
Prof. Amupitan said the 2027 elections would involve more than 103 million registered voters across 176,846 polling units nationwide.
The Presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will take place on February 6, 2027.
He explained that the Commission’s recent experiences in conducting governorship elections in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun States, FCT Area Council elections and 16 bye-elections had provided important lessons for the forthcoming general election.
The INEC Chairman directed staff not to proceed on annual leave until after the elections, stressing that the remaining period required maximum commitment, discipline and operational efficiency.
He also warned against partisanship, negligence, financial impropriety and absenteeism, noting that violations would attract appropriate sanctions under the Electoral Act 2026 and its provisions on the Oath of Neutrality.
“You are the human bridge translating the Electoral Act 2026 into democratic reality. Know the law, understand your responsibility, maintain absolute neutrality, document every action, and protect the integrity of the ballot,” he charged.
On technological preparedness, Prof. Amupitan disclosed that INEC was configuring its Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices, including 57,000 newly procured units.
He said the electronic result management systems were undergoing audits to guarantee transparent transmission of polling unit results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
The Commission, he added, had activated Printable Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and a digital PVC Location Portal, while the preliminary register of voters had been displayed for public scrutiny. The certified register is expected to be published on December 15, 2026.
He clarified that concerns surrounding photographs appearing on the preliminary register would be addressed through the ongoing verification process before the final register is published.
On logistics, the Chairman disclosed that operational vehicles had been distributed to state and Local Government Area offices, while 20 Sports Utility Vehicles had been procured for Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs). Administrative Secretaries are also expected to receive new vehicles.
Regarding staff welfare, he said INEC was at an advanced stage of implementing the newly approved Consolidated Election Management Body Salary Structure (CEMBSS).
He further disclosed that enhanced salary, hazard and field allowances had been approved, alongside a 150 per cent increase in monthly overhead allocations to state offices, effective July 1, 2026.
Addressing election security, the INEC Chairman unveiled an intelligence-driven coordination mechanism under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), known as the “ICCES Tentacle”.
The framework is designed to strengthen security coordination from the Commission’s national headquarters down to Local Government Areas and Registration Area Centres.
He warned individuals and groups planning to disrupt the electoral process that attacks, intimidation or threats against electoral personnel would not be tolerated.
“Insecurity may pose a challenge, but our constitutional resolve is stronger. Anyone attempting to threaten, intimidate, or harm our ad-hoc staff, NYSC members, or permanent personnel will face the full weight of the law,” he said.
He also cautioned against fake news and digital disinformation, including the misuse of artificial intelligence to create misleading content, maintaining that professionalism and credible field operations remained the Commission’s strongest defence.
Prof. Amupitan described Kogi State as a strategic electoral gateway because of its geographical position and boundaries with 10 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
He disclosed that the North-Central geopolitical zone has 15,448,869 registered voters, with Kogi State accounting for 1,932,654.
Other voter figures include Benue with 2,777,727, Plateau 2,787,273, Niger 2,698,344, Nasarawa 1,899,244, Kwara 1,698,627 and the FCT with 1,655,000 registered voters.
Earlier, the Kogi State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Shehu Wahab, described the visit as a significant morale booster for personnel preparing for the 2027 elections.
He said the state office was working to address operational challenges and additional responsibilities arising from the restoration of 12 previously suppressed State Constituencies.
Wahab also disclosed that INEC was collaborating with security agencies and other stakeholders to address the perception of Kogi State as a violence-prone electoral environment.
The Director of Planning and Monitoring, Mrs. Helen Ajayi, explained that the assessment exercise was intended to evaluate preparedness, motivate personnel and identify operational and logistical gaps.
She highlighted Electoral Risk Management (ERM) as an essential instrument for identifying potential flashpoints and developing appropriate preventive measures. She also underscored the importance of traditional rulers in grassroots mobilisation and voter education.
As part of efforts to secure traditional institutions’ support, Prof. Amupitan had earlier paid a courtesy visit to the Kogi State Council of Traditional Rulers on Thursday, November 5, describing the engagement as a homecoming.
He appealed to traditional rulers to support INEC in three critical areas: mobilisation of eligible voters for PVC collection, discouragement of electoral violence and political thuggery, and combating misinformation, particularly AI-generated deepfakes.
The Chairman disclosed that the Commission was decentralising PVC collection across the 774 Local Government Areas, including all 21 LGAs in Kogi State, with arrangements to bring collection points closer to citizens at ward level.
He emphasised that peaceful elections could not be achieved by INEC alone without the active cooperation of community leaders and other stakeholders.
The INEC delegation was received by the President and Chairman of the Council, His Royal Majesty, Dr. Matthew Alaji Opaluwa Oguche Akpa, the Attah Igala.
Also present were the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, His Royal Majesty Alhaji Ahmed Tijani Muhammad, and the Obaro of Kabba and Chairman of the Okun Area Traditional Council, His Royal Majesty Oba Solomon Dele Owoniyi.
Responding on behalf of the Attah Igala, the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, who is Vice President of the Council, pledged the traditional institution’s cooperation with INEC.
He described Prof. Amupitan’s appointment as a source of pride to the people of Kogi State and urged him to sustain the principles of fairness, transparency, accountability and the rule of law.
The INEC Chairman reassured Nigerians that the Commission remained politically neutral, declaring that it had no candidate in the forthcoming elections.
In another development, Prof. Amupitan commissioned a newly constructed BVAS storage facility in Lokoja as part of efforts to strengthen the Commission’s technological infrastructure ahead of the 2027 elections.
He explained that the facility was designed to address challenges associated with improper storage and inadequate cooling of BVAS devices, which could affect their battery performance and operational lifespan.
According to him, establishing dedicated storage facilities across states would help preserve the devices, maintain optimal operating conditions and improve their durability.
The Chairman commended the Kogi State REC and management for the initiative, while directing that outstanding requirements, including the installation of equipment racks, be addressed in collaboration with the Commission’s ICT Department.
With the nationwide readiness tour concluded, INEC is expected to sustain its operational preparations, strengthen stakeholder partnerships and address identified gaps as the country moves closer to the 2027 General Election.
