The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, has assured Nigerians that the commission will conduct credible elections in 2027, urging citizens to trust his leadership.
Amupitan gave the assurance on Thursday while speaking at Chatham House in London during a discussion on Nigeria’s preparations for the 2027 general elections.
He said the commission had learnt lessons from the challenges recorded during the 2023 general elections and was introducing additional measures to strengthen the electoral process.
The INEC chairman explained that the commission was working to improve result management, logistics and security ahead of the polls.
He disclosed that INEC would ensure that results from polling units were properly verified before being uploaded to its Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
According to him, the new safeguards would prevent the upload of inaccurate results and improve public confidence in the electoral process.
Amupitan cited the recent governorship elections in Anambra and Osun states as evidence of improvements in the commission’s operations.
He said INEC had also identified security threats against its ad hoc personnel, particularly members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), and was working with security agencies to address them.
On electoral technology, he said the commission had decided to upgrade its existing systems rather than introduce entirely new technology ahead of the 2027 elections.
He also announced plans for a nationwide mock accreditation and voting exercise on November 28 to test the commission’s preparedness.
Addressing concerns about his neutrality, Amupitan insisted that his loyalty was to the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act, not any political party or individual.
He added that INEC was working to ensure that every eligible Nigerian could participate in the forthcoming elections without intimidation or unnecessary obstacles.
The chairman further disclosed that the commission had received a substantial portion of its required election funding, while the outstanding amount was expected before the end of November.
