The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reaffirmed its commitment to conducting credible, transparent and peaceful 2027 general elections, disclosing that Nigeria’s National Register of Voters has exceeded 103 million.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, gave the assurance when he received the ECOWAS Pre-Election Fact-Finding Mission, led by former Vice-President of Sierra Leone, Victor Bockarie Foh, at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
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Professor Amupitan described the 2027 general elections as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s democratic journey, noting that their successful conduct would have implications for democratic stability and consolidation across West Africa.
He disclosed that INEC had completed nine of the 14 major statutory activities outlined in its revised timetable for the elections.
According to him, the Commission has concluded three phases of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise and completed the nationwide display of the Preliminary Register of Voters.
The INEC Chairman explained that the Commission would deploy personnel and technological resources across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, covering 774 Local Government Areas, 8,809 Registration Areas and 176,846 polling units.
He said INEC had also conducted zonal readiness assessment tours across the country’s geopolitical zones to evaluate its level of preparedness.
On electoral technology, Professor Amupitan reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to deploying the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for biometric accreditation, alongside electronic result management systems.
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He also highlighted the introduction of the eEC8A electronic verification platform, which he said would complement result management and verification through the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
On security, the INEC Chairman said the Commission was collaborating with relevant agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security to strengthen security arrangements ahead of the polls.
He called for stronger collaboration with ECOWAS in election observation, technical support and addressing challenges such as electoral disinformation, logistics and inclusive voter education.
Responding, the Head of the ECOWAS mission, Victor Bockarie Foh, said the visit was part of the regional body’s established mechanism for assessing electoral preparedness in member states approaching general elections.
Foh explained that the mission was being undertaken in line with relevant provisions of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance and the ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework.
He said the delegation would engage political parties, government representatives, electoral authorities, civil society organisations, security agencies and other stakeholders to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the political and institutional environment ahead of the elections.
The ECOWAS delegation stressed that the assessment was not limited to INEC but was intended to identify areas where the regional organisation could provide support towards peaceful and credible elections.
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Professor Amupitan reiterated the Commission’s institutional neutrality, declaring that INEC had no preferred candidate or political party.
He said the Commission’s allegiance remained with the rule of law, the sovereign will of Nigerians and the country’s democratic progress.