The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has outlined measures being put in place to ensure the 2027 general elections are credible, transparent and peaceful, assuring the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) that it remains committed to protecting the votes of Nigerians.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, gave the assurance on Friday while receiving a delegation of the ECOWAS Pre-Election Fact-Finding Mission at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
According to a statement shared on INEC’s official X account, Amupitan said the commission’s responsibility was to Nigerians and that its preparations for the forthcoming elections were focused on delivering a process that would earn public confidence.
He disclosed that the National Register of Voters currently contains more than 103 million registered voters, while the commission has completed nine of the 14 statutory activities required ahead of the polls.
Amupitan also revealed that INEC had concluded three phases of its Continuous Voter Registration exercise and carried out the nationwide display of the Preliminary Register of Voters.
He explained that organising elections across the country required extensive planning, considering the size of the electoral system, which covers 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, 774 local government areas, 8,809 registration areas and 176,846 polling units.
The INEC chairman said the commission was adopting a field-based approach to its preparations, including assessment visits across the country’s six geopolitical zones to identify possible challenges and improve its level of readiness.
On technology, he highlighted the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System for fingerprint and facial verification, as well as electronic result management. He added that the eEC8A electronic verification platform would work alongside the INEC Result Viewing Portal.
Amupitan further stated that INEC was engaging security agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security to address security concerns before and during the elections.
He called on ECOWAS to support the commission through election observation, technical assistance, improved logistics and voter education. He also identified electoral misinformation and disinformation as issues requiring attention.
The chairman stressed the importance of continued engagement with political parties, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to promote peaceful campaigns and strengthen confidence in the electoral process.
Speaking on behalf of the delegation, former Sierra Leone Vice-President Victor Foh said the mission’s visit was part of ECOWAS’ regular assessment of member states before major elections.
Foh explained that the delegation was in Nigeria to examine INEC’s preparations, identify possible areas of concern and determine the kind of assistance the regional body could provide.
He said the mission was operating under Article 31 of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, Article 53 of the ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework, as well as decisions reached by the Authority of Heads of State and Government.
Other members of the delegation included the Head of ECOWAS’ Electoral Assistance Division and the Permanent Secretary of the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions, Serigne Mamadou Ka.
