The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash O. Amupitan, SAN, has reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to credible, inclusive and transparent elections as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general polls.
Amupitan gave the assurance on Thursday while receiving the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Mohamed Fall, alongside senior UN officials, at INEC headquarters in Abuja.
Congratulating the INEC chairman on his appointment, Fall commended the Commission for the peaceful conduct of the recent Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections. He pledged the continued support of the United Nations to Nigeria’s electoral process, noting that the country’s size and complexity demand sustained institutional collaboration.
Also speaking, the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Ms. Elsie Attafuah, highlighted the long-standing partnership between INEC and the UNDP in areas including technology, innovation, youth engagement, voter education and institutional capacity building. She indicated that discussions were ongoing on the possibility of a dedicated election support project as preparations intensify toward 2027.
In his remarks, Amupitan noted that the meeting followed the successful conduct of the FCT Area Council elections and recent bye-elections in Kano and Rivers States. He described the polls as generally peaceful and reiterated INEC’s constitutional mandate to conduct federal and state elections, including those for the President, Governors, National and State Assemblies.
The INEC chairman identified key challenges confronting Election Management Bodies across Africa, including declining public trust, insecurity, voter apathy and the spread of misinformation and disinformation. He described deliberate disinformation as particularly dangerous to democratic institutions.
Amupitan underscored the Commission’s commitment to inclusivity and gender equality, pointing to the establishment of a Gender and Inclusivity Department and measures to support persons with disabilities, including the provision of Braille ballot guides and assistive devices.
On electoral transparency, he disclosed that INEC is strengthening safeguards in its result management systems and intensifying efforts to sanitise the voters’ register, including the removal of deceased persons, to enhance accuracy and credibility.
“We cannot afford to fail our people. Every election we conduct must be better than the last,” he said, adding that Nigeria’s electoral success would have positive implications for democratic governance across Africa.
