2027: INEC Vows To Deliver Election That Reflects Nigerians’ Will

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured Nigerians that the 2027 general election will be conducted in a manner that reflects the genuine choice of the electorate.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, gave the assurance on Tuesday during a meeting with the African Union Pre-Election and Needs Assessment Mission in Abuja. He was represented by National Commissioner Rhoda Gumus.

Amupitan said the commission would uphold its independence, neutrality and professionalism throughout the electoral process, adding that its decisions would be guided by the law and supported by technology to promote transparency.

“The final outcome of the 2027 General Election will reflect nothing less than the sovereign will of the Nigerian electorate,” he said.

INEC is preparing for elections involving nearly 100 million voters, 176,846 polling units and more than 1.4 million ad hoc personnel. The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, while governorship and State Assembly polls will hold on February 6.

The commission said lessons from recent off-cycle elections, particularly the August 15 Osun governorship election, were being incorporated into preparations for 2027. INEC reported that more than 94 per cent of polling units opened on time following early deployment of election materials.

Amupitan also disclosed that INEC was collaborating with the National Identity Management Commission to integrate the National Identification Number into the Continuous Voter Registration system. The initiative is expected to strengthen voter verification and help clean up the register.

However, the commission identified technology, logistics and political dynamics as areas requiring sustained attention. It asked the AU for technical assistance in training ad hoc staff, tackling election disinformation and detecting AI-generated deepfakes.

The AU mission, led by former Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister, Demeke Mekonen Hassen, is in Nigeria from September 13 to 19 to assess preparations for the elections.

Hassen said the mission would support Nigeria’s preparations without interfering with INEC’s independence. The delegation is expected to meet political parties, civil society organisations, security agencies, media practitioners and other stakeholders.

The mission will assess the credibility and readiness of the voter register, results management system, logistics, funding, security, inclusion and transparency of the electoral process.

It will also examine unresolved legal and administrative issues, safeguards for INEC’s independence and coordination between electoral and security authorities.

With the number of registered voters approaching 100 million, the voter register remains a major concern for the AU mission, which wants assurances that it will be finalised, credible and open to scrutiny by political parties, civil society groups and other stakeholders before the 2027 elections.