2027 elections: INEC concludes nationwide tour in Lokoja, seeks monarchs’ help

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has concluded its nationwide operational readiness tour forward of the 2027 General Election, with the Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, declaring that 9 of the 14 main statutory milestones within the election timetable had been executed.

Amupitan made the declaration in the course of the North-Central Zonal Interactive Meeting with Staff and Readiness Assessment for the 2027 General Election, which introduced the tour to a detailed.

The assembly introduced collectively National Commissioners, Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) from the zone, Directors from the National Headquarters, Administrative Secretaries, Heads of Department and Electoral Officers.

He stated the North-Central engagement was the strategic fruits of comparable assessments already held within the South-West, North-West, South-East, North-East and South-South.

According to him, the tour was supposed to determine operational weaknesses earlier than election day, make sure that native challenges had been mirrored in nationwide planning and forestall voters from being disenfranchised by way of administrative or logistical failures.

The Chairman stated the remaining preparations required elevated consideration because the election dates approached.

He directed that no employees of the Commission ought to proceed on annual depart till after the elections.

According to him, the 2027 common election would contain over 103 million registered voters throughout 176,846 polling models.

The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, whereas the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will maintain on February 6, 2027.

The INEC chairman stated the Commission’s conduct of governorship elections in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun, the FCT Area Council elections and 16 bye-elections had served as take a look at grounds for the overall election.

He warned that partisanship, negligence, monetary impropriety and absenteeism would entice swift sanctions, in step with Section 26 of the Electoral Act 2026, which mandates a proper Oath of Neutrality.

He charged employees to stay impartial and disciplined, saying:

“You are the human bridge translating the Electoral Act 2026 into democratic reality. Know the law, understand your responsibility, maintain absolute neutrality, document every action, and protect the integrity of the ballot.”

On employees welfare, the Chairman stated the Commission was at a complicated stage of implementing  the newly authorised Consolidated Election Management Body Salary Structure (CEMBSS).

He added that the Commission had authorised enhanced wage, hazard and discipline allowances, alongside a 150 per cent improve in month-to-month overheads to state workplaces, efficient July 1, 2026.

On logistics, he stated operational pick-up autos had been distributed to state and native authorities space workplaces.

“Twenty Sports Utility Vehicles have been procured for RECs, while Administrative Secretaries would also receive new vehicles,” he stated.

On expertise, Prof. Amupitan stated the Commission was configuring Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) units, together with 57,000 newly procured models.

He stated digital consequence administration programs had been being audited to make sure clear transmission of polling unit outcomes to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).

He stated printable Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and a digital PVC location portal had been activated, and that the preliminary register of voters had been revealed for public show.

“The certified register of voters will be published on December 15, 2026.”

Addressing issues over images showing on the preliminary register, he stated the information remained topic to verification earlier than the ultimate register was revealed.

On election safety, the Chairman unveiled an intelligence-led framework below the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), which he known as the “ICCES Tentacle”.

According to him, it prolonged safety coordination from the nationwide headquarters to native authorities areas and Registration Area Centres (RACs).

He warned these planning to disrupt the method:

“Insecurity may pose a challenge, but our constitutional resolve is stronger. Anyone attempting to threaten, intimidate, or harm our ad-hoc staff, NYSC members, or permanent personnel will face the full weight of the law.”

Warning towards faux information and digital disinformation, he stated employees conduct remained the Commission’s strongest defence.

He stated: “When our field execution is flawless, and our data pipeline is clear, no digital algorithm can displace the physical reality of a transparent vote.”

Amupitan described Kogi state as Nigeria’s final electoral gateway, sharing boundaries with 10 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

He stated the North-Central zone has 15,448,869 registered voters, with Kogi accounting for 1,932,654.

By state, Benue has 2,777,727 voters, Plateau 2,787,273, Niger 2,698,344, Nasarawa 1,899,244, Kwara 1,698,627 and the FCT 1,655,000.

In his welcome handle, the REC for Kogi state, Dr. Shehu Wahab, described Lokoja because the historic confluence metropolis the place Rivers Niger and Benue meet.

He urged employees to attract inspiration from its historical past of excellent management to ship a reputable election.

He stated the Chairman’s go to was a morale booster and that the state workplace was making ready for the polls regardless of added duties arising from the restoration of 12 beforehand suppressed State Constituencies. He added that the workplace was working with safety companies to vary the notion of Kogi as a violence-prone state throughout elections.

The Director of Planning and Monitoring, Mrs. Helen Ajayi, stated the evaluation was designed to inspire employees, consider state preparedness and determine operational and logistical challenges. She highlighted Electoral Risk Management (ERM) as a key device for mapping threat areas, and pressured the significance of conventional rulers in grassroots mobilisation for the 2027 General Election.

Directors from the National Headquarters additionally introduced updates on voter registration, ICT, employees conduct, and operational and logistics readiness, whereas State representatives introduced scenario experiences on election safety, coaching, voter training and stakeholder engagement.

Staff representatives appreciated the Chairman’s go to and pressured the significance of welfare in sustaining motivation, professionalism and resistance to undue exterior affect.

The Friday assembly adopted engagements on Thursday, November 5, 2026, throughout which the Chairman paid a courtesy go to to the Kogi State Council of Traditional Rulers, describing it as a homecoming.

He stated the Commission couldn’t independently assure peaceable elections with out the cooperation of neighborhood leaders.

He appealed to the royal fathers to help the Commission in three areas: mobilisation for PVC assortment, discouragement of electoral violence and political thuggery, and the combat towards misinformation, together with deepfakes generated by synthetic intelligence.

He disclosed that PVC assortment was being decentralised throughout the 774 Local Government Areas, together with all 21 in Kogi State, with assortment factors moved nearer to residents at ward stage.

The Chairman assured the folks of Kogi state and the North-Central zone that INEC remained politically impartial, declaring that the Commission had no candidate.

The delegation was obtained by the President and Chairman of the Council, His Royal Majesty, Dr. Matthew Alaji Opaluwa Oguche Akpa, the Attah Igala. Also current had been the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, His Royal Majesty Alhaji Ahmed Tijani Muhammad, and the Obaro of Kabba and Chairman of the Okun Area Traditional Council, His Royal Majesty Oba Solomon Dele Owoniyi.

Responding on behalf of the Attah Igala, the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, who’s Vice President of the Council, pledged the Council’s collaboration with INEC and described Prof. Amupitan’s appointment as a supply of satisfaction to the folks of Kogi State. He urged the Chairman to stay dedicated to equity, transparency, accountability and the rule of legislation.

On the identical day, the Chairman commissioned a newly constructed BVAS storage facility in Lokoja. He stated it was designed to deal with challenges arising from improper storage and insufficient cooling of the units, and that devoted storage services throughout the states would protect battery life, keep optimum efficiency and lengthen the lifespan of the units.

Prof. Amupitan recommended the standard of development of the power and stated the Commission would work with its ICT Department to deal with excellent necessities, together with the set up of kit racks. He congratulated the Kogi state REC and the administration of the state workplace on the initiative.