The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed confidence in its preparations for the 2027 general elections, assuring Nigerians that it is on course to deliver free, fair and credible polls.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN), gave the assurance on Tuesday while addressing the Commission’s staff in the South-East during a readiness assessment exercise ahead of the elections.
Amupitan said the commission had adhered to its established timelines and operational checklists, noting that significant progress had been recorded across key areas of electoral preparation.
“We are on track and moving ahead with most of the checklist boxes ticked as done,” he said.
The INEC chairman disclosed that non-sensitive election materials had been procured and distributed, while steps were being taken to award contracts for the production and supply of sensitive materials.
He also said the commission was expanding its fleet of operational vehicles to facilitate the smooth movement of electoral personnel and materials before and during the elections.
According to him, training and retraining programmes for staff had commenced, with particular emphasis on new guidelines and regulations introduced under the amended Electoral Act.
Amupitan further revealed that the commission had upgraded its information and communication technology infrastructure and strengthened its security architecture as part of efforts to enhance electoral efficiency and credibility.
He added that committees comprising relevant government agencies, commissions and other institutions had been established to provide specialised support and services required for the successful conduct of the elections.
Earlier, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Enugu State, Dr Chukwuemeka Chukwu, outlined the scale of electoral operations in the state, which comprises 17 local government areas, 260 registration areas and 4,145 polling units.
Chukwu said the figures underscored the need for comprehensive planning, effective coordination and adequate deployment of personnel and resources at every level of the electoral process.
He explained that the successful conduct of elections across the state would depend on sufficient logistics, technology, infrastructure and security arrangements, alongside sustained engagement with stakeholders at the grassroots.
“Managing electoral activities across such a broad operational structure requires adequate personnel, logistics, technology, infrastructure and security arrangements, as well as continuous engagement with stakeholders at the grassroots,” he said.
The Enugu REC stressed that electoral activities at the local government, registration area and polling unit levels must be properly integrated with zonal and national plans to ensure seamless operations.
He urged INEC officials to continue strengthening internal systems, improving operational procedures and ensuring that every staff member understood their responsibilities towards delivering credible elections in 2027.
The readiness assessment also featured presentations by various INEC departments on their level of preparedness and innovations introduced to improve electoral operations.
Representatives from the five South-East states — Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo — equally presented updates on their preparations, highlighting existing challenges and areas requiring further attention.
Among the key concerns identified were the need for additional training and retraining of electoral personnel and isolated security challenges in some locations.
