The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has urged Nigerians to trust his leadership to deliver free, fair, and credible general elections in 2027, assuring that the Commission has introduced measures to address the shortcomings recorded during the 2023 general election.
Amupitan gave the assurance on Thursday, November 12, 2026, while speaking at a high-level dialogue organised by Chatham House, London, in partnership with the Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI), themed, “Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Democratic Trajectory and Regional Stability Beyond the Ballot.”
He acknowledged that the controversies surrounding the 2023 presidential election had significantly undermined public confidence in the Commission, admitting that the damage to its credibility had yet to be fully addressed.
However, he stated that INEC had used subsequent off-cycle elections as opportunities to identify operational weaknesses and improve its electoral processes, referencing the Anambra and Osun governorship elections, FCT Area Council elections, Ekiti governorship election, and 16 legislative by-elections as evidence of progress.
Amupitan noted that the recent Osun election demonstrated a clear improvement, while results in Anambra and Osun were declared the day after voting, unlike previous experiences in which governorship elections in the states took several days to conclude.
He identified insecurity, logistics and result management as the Commission’s major priorities ahead of the 2027 elections, stressing that its post-2023 assessment revealed significant weaknesses at collation centres.
He said that INEC had consequently introduced technical safeguards to prevent inaccurate results and figures reflecting over-voting from being uploaded to its Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
The Commission, he explained, had chosen to strengthen its existing electoral technology rather than introduce an entirely new system, given the limited time available before the 2027 polls.
Addressing concerns over the malfunction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) during the 2023 elections, which he linked partly to extreme heat and storage conditions, Amupitan disclosed that climate-controlled storage facilities were being constructed across the states.
He added that INEC had procured additional devices and reduced the maximum number of voters assigned to each BVAS machine from 1,250 to 850. Polling units with more than 850 registered voters would be provided with multiple devices.
As part of efforts to assess the effectiveness of the improvements, the INEC Chairman announced that a nationwide mock accreditation exercise would take place on November 28, 2026, to test voter accreditation and electronic transmission of results ahead of the general elections.
On funding, Amupitan disclosed that the Commission had received a substantial portion of its 2027 election budget but was awaiting the outstanding balance, some of which would support the recruitment and welfare of ad hoc election personnel.
He confirmed that assurances had been received that the outstanding funds would be released before the end of November.
The INEC boss also addressed allegations questioning his neutrality following social media claims linking his phone number to a controversial X (formerly Twitter) account. He denied ever operating an X account and disclosed that an independent forensic review had been obtained, while the matter had been referred to the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Inspector-General of Police for investigation.
He further dismissed concerns that his previous legal representation in political disputes could affect his impartiality, emphasising that his actions before his appointment were strictly within his professional responsibilities as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
Amupitan reaffirmed his commitment to electoral integrity, saying his allegiance remained with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act.
On complaints concerning alleged irregularities in the voter register, including claims of an 85 per cent increase in registered voters in a ward in Ebonyi State, he affirmed that the Commission had investigated and resolved the matter in accordance with established statutory procedures.
Amupitan also urged Nigerians, particularly young people, to remain actively engaged in the democratic process and avoid spreading unverified information, warning that misinformation posed a significant threat to the country’s democracy.
He added that the Presidential and National Assembly elections would hold on January 16, 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections were scheduled for February 6, 2027.
