The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash O. Amupitan, SAN, has charged Electoral Officers (EOs) and Heads of Department (HODs) across the Southwest to intensify their commitment, discipline and preparedness ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Amupitan gave the charge in Lagos while addressing EOs, HODs, senior administrative staff and other INEC officials from the six Southwest states at the opening of the Southwest Zonal Interaction Meeting and Readiness Assessment.
The meeting, held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, marked the commencement of the Commission’s six-zone national tour aimed at assessing its operational readiness for the 2027 elections.
The Commission is scheduled to conduct the Presidential and National Assembly elections on Saturday, January 16, 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are slated for Saturday, February 6, 2027.
Declaring that “the 2027 General Election is here,” the INEC chairman said the Commission must confront the preparations with greater seriousness, insisting that lessons from recently conducted off-cycle elections must be applied to the national polls.
He identified the Anambra State Governorship Election, the FCT Area Council Election and the recent Osun State Governorship Election as important opportunities for INEC to identify weaknesses, improve its processes and strengthen its capacity ahead of 2027.
“Those off-cycle elections have provided us with the mirror through which we can see into the 2027 elections,” Amupitan said.
The chairman explained that his decision to personally interact with field-level officials was deliberate, stressing that the success of any election was ultimately determined by what happened at the operational level.
“The true success of any election is not decided solely in the meeting rooms of our headquarters in Abuja. It is indeed decided in the field,” he said.
Amupitan urged the Electoral Officers and Heads of Department to use the engagement to openly present the challenges confronting them, identify operational gaps and propose practical solutions ahead of the general election.
He emphasised the need for continuous learning and improvement, saying challenges experienced during one election should provide valuable lessons for subsequent electoral exercises.
The INEC chairman also commended officials who participated in the recent Osun State Governorship Election, noting that the commendation received by the Commission was largely a reflection of the efforts of personnel who worked throughout the electoral process to safeguard the integrity of the ballot and ensure that votes counted.
Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Lagos State, Prof. Ayobami Salami, who welcomed the chairman and other participants to Lagos, said electoral credibility was built long before Election Day through early preparation, effective coordination, competent personnel and continuous assessment.
Salami said the readiness assessment should go beyond routine checklists to critically examine human resources, logistics, infrastructure, technology, electoral materials, security arrangements and stakeholder engagement.
He urged officials across the Southwest to speak frankly about their operational realities, identify weaknesses early and share best practices capable of strengthening INEC’s preparations for the 2027 elections.
The Lagos engagement is the first leg of INEC’s planned interaction and readiness assessment with officials across the six geopolitical zones as the Commission steps up preparations for the 2027 General Election.
Share this content:
About The Author
