2027 Elections: INEC Charges Staff to Prioritise Voters, Improve Service Delivery

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has charged its staff to improve service delivery, respond promptly to complaints and demonstrate greater accountability as the commission prepares for the 2027 general election.

The commission said professionalism, empathy, transparency and timely responses to citizens’ needs were essential to building public confidence in the electoral process.

The INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, gave the charge through the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Health and Welfare Committee, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, at the commission’s 2026 Customer Service Week celebration in Abuja on Friday.

The event, held at INEC’s conference hall, was organised under the theme, Going the Extra Mile.

Gumus said every staff member represented the commission and that their interactions with voters, political parties, colleagues and other members of the public influenced how Nigerians perceived the electoral body.

She noted that confidence in the electoral system depended not only on policies and procedures but also on the conduct of officials responsible for implementing them.

The national commissioner urged personnel to take responsibility for their duties, find practical solutions to challenges and assist citizens beyond the minimum requirements of their jobs.

She added that excellent customer service should become part of INEC’s institutional culture rather than an activity limited to special occasions.

Gumus particularly highlighted the importance of effective service delivery as the commission displays the voters’ register and distributes Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the 2027 general election.

She said the exercise required staff to ensure that eligible citizens received the necessary assistance to participate in the electoral process.

The commission also stressed the need for staff to respond to correspondence within stipulated timelines, follow due process in contract administration and maintain accessible channels for citizens seeking information or wishing to engage with the electoral body.

While acknowledging the importance of adequate funding and infrastructure, INEC maintained that staff could improve public service through courtesy, competence, integrity and responsiveness.

It also identified continuous training and staff welfare as important factors in sustaining quality service delivery.

The commission called on political actors and other stakeholders to obey electoral laws, participate responsibly in the electoral process and promote tolerance and dialogue instead of electoral malpractice and violence.

Speaking at the event, the Acting National Coordinator of the Presidency’s Service Compact with All Nigerians (SERVICOM), Mrs. Helen Lawal, commended INEC for organising the celebration.

She described customer service week as an opportunity for public institutions to assess their performance and identify ways to improve the quality of services provided to citizens.

Lawal said service excellence involved making deliberate efforts to exceed expectations by providing efficient, responsive and citizen-focused services.

She emphasised that delivering quality service was a collective responsibility requiring cooperation among departments and personnel.

According to her, public servants should anticipate citizens’ needs, provide clear guidance, exercise patience and empathy, take ownership of complaints and ensure that issues are followed through to resolution.

She also urged the commission to pay particular attention to vulnerable groups, including older persons and persons with disabilities, while ensuring that residents of rural communities were not excluded from accessing public services.

Explaining the theme’s visual identity, Lawal said the road-sign motif represented direction, commitment and the journey towards exceeding customers’ expectations.

She added that the colours reflected values such as trust, professionalism, energy, appreciation, transparency and commitment.

Lawal urged INEC staff to incorporate these values into their daily responsibilities to ensure that excellent service became a consistent practice.

The celebration followed a fitness and health awareness walk and a sensitisation exercise on PVC collection organised for INEC staff earlier in the day.

Those in attendance included National Commissioners Prof. Kunle Ajayi, Chairman of the Board of the Electoral Institute, and Prof. Sunday Aha, Chairman of the Board of Survey and Technical Committee on Equipment Acquisition.

Members of the SERVICOM delegation, INEC management, directors, heads of departments and other staff also attended the event.

The commission said the central message of the celebration was that every interaction with citizens mattered, every complaint deserved attention and every staff member had a role in ensuring effective and respectful service delivery ahead of the 2027 general election.