The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed suggestions that it could favour any political party or presidential candidate in the 2027 general elections, declaring that it remains committed to conducting a free, fair and credible electoral process.
Politics Nigeria reports that the commission’s chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, made the position clear on Friday, when he received a pre-election fact-finding mission from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at INEC’s headquarters in Abuja.
The delegation was led by Victor Bockarie Foh, a former Vice-President of Sierra Leone.
The visit was part of ECOWAS’ efforts to assess Nigeria’s level of preparedness for the forthcoming general elections and determine areas where the regional organisation could provide assistance.
Speaking during the meeting, Amupitan insisted that the commission had no political interest in the outcome of the elections and would not work in favour of any individual seeking public office.
“INEC under my watch has no candidate and no political party,” he said.
“Our sole allegiance is to the rule of law, the sovereign will of the Nigerian electorate, and the democratic progress of our nation.”
President Bola Tinubu is expected to seek re-election in 2027, while opposition parties are also making moves to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Against this background, INEC’s declaration is an attempt to reaffirm its neutrality and assure Nigerians that the electoral body will not use its position to advance the interest of any political party.
Amupitan explained that the commission had already commenced preparations across the country’s six geopolitical zones.
He said INEC was carrying out readiness assessment tours to evaluate its operational capacity and identify possible challenges that could affect the successful conduct of the elections.
According to him, the commission would be responsible for organising elections across 774 local government areas and 8,809 registration areas nationwide.
He further disclosed that Nigeria’s National Register of Voters had exceeded 103 million, highlighting the enormous responsibility facing the commission as it prepares for another nationwide electoral exercise.
Amupitan said INEC had completed nine of the 14 major statutory activities contained in its revised election timetable.
He also confirmed that three phases of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise had been concluded.
The commission has equally completed the nationwide physical display of the preliminary register of voters.
The exercise is important because it provides an opportunity for registered voters to check their details and identify possible errors or omissions before the final register is certified.
On the technology expected to play a major role in the 2027 polls, Amupitan said INEC would deploy the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) to authenticate voters through fingerprint and facial recognition.
He explained that the commission would also rely on electronic result management systems to strengthen the process of recording, verifying and managing election results.
The chairman disclosed that INEC had introduced an electronic verification platform known as eEC8A to complement its existing result management arrangements.
The platform is expected to support the verification of election result documents and work alongside the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), which allows members of the public to view results uploaded from polling units.
The use of electoral technology has remained a major issue in Nigeria’s elections, particularly following controversies surrounding the transmission and availability of polling unit results during previous exercises.
Although INEC has continued to defend the introduction of technology into the electoral process, its implementation and reliability remain important issues that will attract public attention as the 2027 elections approach.
Amupitan also addressed security concerns, noting that the commission was working with relevant security agencies to put adequate arrangements in place before the elections.
He said INEC was collaborating with security institutions through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).
The committee provides a platform for INEC and security agencies to coordinate their activities and address threats that could disrupt electoral activities.
Security is expected to remain a major concern during the 2027 elections, particularly in areas affected by insurgency, banditry, communal violence and other forms of criminal activities.
The commission will also need to ensure the safety of electoral officials, election materials, observers and voters before, during and after the polls.
Speaking on behalf of the ECOWAS delegation, Foh explained that the mission was in Nigeria to examine the country’s electoral preparations and engage relevant stakeholders.
He said the delegation would assess the readiness of electoral institutions and identify areas where ECOWAS could offer technical and institutional support.
The mission also included Serigne Mamadou Ka, Head of the ECOWAS Electoral Assistance Division.
Foh noted that the exercise was part of the regional body’s responsibility to promote democratic governance, political stability and peaceful elections across West Africa.
He explained that the mission was being conducted in line with Article 31 of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance and Article 53 of the ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework.
