The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reaffirmed its commitment to conducting free, fair, credible and inclusive 2027 General Elections, while seeking stronger collaboration with the United Kingdom to improve Nigeria’s electoral process.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, stated this on Wednesday, when he received the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Pete Vowles, during a courtesy visit to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
Amupitan described the visit as a continuation of the longstanding partnership between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, anchored on shared commitments to democratic integrity and institutional development.
He highlighted the Commission’s achievements in recent off-cycle governorship elections in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun states, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections and 16 legislative by-elections conducted across the country.
According to him, INEC has recorded improvements in election logistics, deployment of personnel and materials, use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), and timely uploading of polling unit results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.
He also identified intelligence-driven security collaboration and improved result management as key areas of progress, alongside strengthened voting arrangements for persons with disabilities, pregnant women and elderly voters.
On preparations for the 2027 general elections, the INEC chairman disclosed that the Commission had completed nine of the 14 activities outlined in its revised timetable and schedule of activities.
He added that operational readiness assessments were ongoing across the six geopolitical zones to ensure effective preparations for the elections.
Amupitan further revealed that Nigeria’s National Register of Voters had exceeded 103 million, while INEC was conducting a nationwide Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) collection exercise across all 774 local government areas.
He explained that the Commission had decentralised PVC collection points to registration area and ward levels to improve accessibility for eligible voters.
The INEC chairman also disclosed that the Commission’s Candidates Nomination Portal (ICNP) had processed nominations for 21 of the country’s 22 registered political parties.
He said INEC had additionally procured 57,000 BVAS devices to strengthen its technological capacity ahead of the elections.
Other preparations, according to him, include the procurement of election materials for 176,846 polling units, improved logistics and supply-chain arrangements, as well as early security coordination through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).
While acknowledging the United Kingdom’s contributions to Nigeria’s electoral development through technical assistance, capacity building, gender mainstreaming, voter education and institutional policy development, Amupitan called for expanded cooperation in critical areas.
He identified cybersecurity and technological integrity, specialised training for electoral personnel, strategic communication, combating disinformation and hate speech, and strengthening voter education as priority areas for further collaboration.
The INEC chairman also stressed the importance of promoting inclusive electoral participation, particularly among youths, women and marginalised groups.
He noted that the credibility of Nigeria’s democratic process had implications beyond its borders, with significant consequences for peace, stability and economic development across West Africa and the African continent.
Amupitan reiterated the Commission’s determination to strengthen electoral institutions and deliver credible elections that would reinforce public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process.
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