- INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan says no eligible registered voter should be disenfranchised by administrative or logistical challenges as the Commission intensifies preparations for the 2027 general elections.
By Theresa Moses
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has directed a review of Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) records in the South-East and ordered the removal of bottlenecks affecting the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Amupitan gave the directive on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, in Enugu during the Commission’s South-East Zonal Interactive Meeting with Staff and Readiness Assessment for the 2027 General Election.
He said the Commission’s immediate operational priority in the region was to review voter registration records and address administrative and logistical challenges affecting PVC distribution.
“Our objective is uncompromising: no eligible citizen who registered should be disenfranchised by administrative or logistical friction,” the INEC chairman declared.
According to him, the Commission is strengthening its operational readiness to ensure that eligible voters can participate in the forthcoming elections without unnecessary barriers.
INEC Records Over 10.7 Million New Registrants
The INEC chairman disclosed that the National Register of Voters stood at more than 103 million registered citizens.
He said the Commission conducted three phases of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
According to the figures presented at the meeting, the registration phases recorded the following:
– Phase I: 2,611,266 registrants between August 25 and December 10, 2025.
– Phase II: 4,121,835 registrants between January 5 and April 17, 2026.
– Phase III: 3,867,997 registrants between May 11 and July 26, 2026.
The three phases produced a combined total of 10,772,421 new registrants, subject to final verification and deduplication through the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) at the Commission’s national headquarters.
Amupitan also disclosed that the Commission introduced an online registration portal during the third phase to reduce barriers associated with distance and time.
He added that INEC had activated printable PVC technology under Section 18(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, an innovation intended to ease the process of obtaining voter cards.
2027 Election Timetable Remains a Priority
The INEC chairman described the 2027 general elections as a major national assignment requiring coordinated preparations across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
He said the elections would involve more than 103 million registered voters and 176,846 polling units, according to the figures presented at the meeting.
The revised timetable announced by the Commission schedules the Presidential and National Assembly elections for Saturday, January 16, 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are scheduled for Saturday, February 6, 2027. <Link url=”https://www.inecnigeria.org/press/presidential-national-assembly-elections-jan-2027-presidential” title=”INEC’s official election notice”/>.
Amupitan said nine of the 14 major statutory milestones in the revised timetable had been completed as of the meeting.
He also commended INEC personnel for their roles in recent off-cycle governorship elections, Federal Capital Territory Area Council polls and federal and state bye-elections.
However, he cautioned staff against complacency, stressing that previous achievements had increased public expectations for the forthcoming general elections.
Misinformation, Voter Apathy and Public Trust
The INEC chairman identified declining public trust, voter apathy, misinformation and disinformation as significant challenges confronting the Commission.
He warned that fabricated reports, unverified rumours and deepfake videos could spread rapidly, potentially undermining public confidence in the electoral process.
According to him, INEC intends to address these threats through proactive transparency, timely official communication and strict operational standards at polling units.
He urged staff to maintain professional conduct and ensure that their actions do not provide opportunities for false narratives to gain credibility.
DSS Intelligence and Election Security
On election security, Amupitan said INEC had strengthened its partnership with the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) and was working with security agencies at national and state levels.
He said the Commission was deploying Election Risk Management tools to support the development of an intelligence-driven security framework.
The chairman further disclosed that the Commission had identified potential threats to ad hoc election personnel, particularly members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
According to him, intelligence provided by the Department of State Services (DSS) helped identify and arrest individuals allegedly connected to a plot against the personnel. He said those involved would be prosecuted.
Amupitan also announced plans for a security conference to address emerging concerns relating to election safety and the protection of electoral personnel.
Technology, Logistics and Staff Discipline
The INEC chairman said the Commission was refining its result management systems, including the newly introduced eEC8A electronic verification platform, to improve the verification and transparency of election results.
He said the systems were intended to strengthen the visibility and verification of results from polling units through the collation process, alongside the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
On staff conduct, he warned that partisanship, negligence, extortion and ethical breaches would not be tolerated under his leadership.
He urged electoral officials to understand the law, remain neutral, document their actions and protect the integrity of the electoral process.
Amupitan also disclosed that INEC had procured and dispatched new operational pickup vehicles to state offices and local government areas nationwide. He added that the Commission had established an Electoral Logistics Committee, chaired by Rear Admiral Jamila Malafa (Rtd), to strengthen logistics coordination.
The chairman said the Commission was also combining physical training with information and communications technology tools to prepare permanent and ad hoc personnel for their responsibilities.
Improved Staff Welfare
Addressing staff welfare, Amupitan said the Commission had introduced the Consolidated Election Management Body Salary Structure (CEMBSS), effective January 1, 2026, and was advancing plans for a new salary and welfare package for staff, Commission members and Resident Electoral Commissioners.
He further disclosed that monthly overhead allocations to state offices had increased by 150 per cent, effective July 1, 2026.
He urged personnel to reciprocate the Commission’s investments in technology, logistics and welfare with professionalism, integrity and operational excellence.
“The road to 2027 passes through our hands, and we shall not falter,” he said while declaring the zonal engagement open.
The meeting was attended by National Commissioners, Resident Electoral Commissioners from the South-East, directors from INEC’s national headquarters, administrative secretaries, electoral officers, heads of departments, security agency representatives and members of the media.
Source: INEC Daily Bulletin, Volume 2, No. 503, October 20, 2026.
GATMASH NEWS
…News That Drives Impact
For advert placements and business inquiries, kindly reach us via:
📧 Email: [email protected]
📞 Tel/WhatsApp: +234 (0) 807 202 2024
We value your voice! Share your stories, eyewitness reports, and contributions with us anytime:
📲 SMS/WhatsApp: +234 (0) 807 202 2024
📧 Email: [email protected]
Visit us online: https://gatmash.com
