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 confront the challenges of the 2027 General Election with greater commitment, discipline and preparedness.
Amupitan gave the charge in Lagos at the opening of the Southwest Zonal Interaction Meeting and Readiness Assessment held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja.
The engagement marked the first leg of the Commission’s planned six-zone national tour aimed at assessing its operational preparedness ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The Presidential and National Assembly Elections are scheduled for Saturday, January 16, 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly Elections will hold on Saturday, February 6, 2027.
Addressing Electoral Officers, Heads of Department, senior administrative staff and other officials from the six states of the Southwest, Amupitan declared that “the 2027 General Election is here” and urged INEC personnel to confront the assignment “frontally.”
He said the recently conducted off-cycle elections had provided valuable lessons that should be applied to preparations for the 2027 polls.
According to the INEC Chairman, the Anambra State Governorship Election, FCT Area Council Election and the recent Osun State Governorship Election, among others, should serve as important milestones for identifying weaknesses, improving processes and strengthening the Commission’s capacity ahead of the general election.
“Those off-cycle elections have provided us with the mirror through which we can see into the 2027 elections,” Amupitan said.
He explained that his decision to personally engage with Electoral Officers and other field-level officials was deliberate, stressing that the success and credibility of an election were ultimately determined 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 stated.
Amupitan therefore urged EOs and HODs to use the interaction to openly present the realities confronting them, identify operational gaps and offer practical solutions that would strengthen the Commission’s preparations for 2027.
He stressed the need for continuous learning and improvement, noting that challenges encountered during one election must serve as lessons for improving subsequent electoral exercises.
The INEC Chairman also commended officials who participated in the recent Osun State Governorship Election, saying the public commendation received by the Commission was largely a reflection of the commitment 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) for Lagos State, Prof. Ayobami Salami, who welcomed the Chairman and participants to Lagos, said the credibility of an election 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 the adequacy of human resources, logistics, infrastructure, technology, electoral materials, security arrangements and stakeholder engagement.
He urged Electoral Officers and Heads of Department across the Southwest to speak frankly about their operational realities, identify weaknesses early and share best practices capable of strengthening the Commission’s preparations for the 2027 elections.
The Lagos interaction is the first of INEC’s planned engagements with officials across the six geopolitical zones as the Commission intensifies preparations for the 2027 General Election.
