…Nigerians, Not AI, Will Decide Election Outcome
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has ruled out any plan to postpone the 2027 general elections, insisting that the polls will hold on their scheduled dates.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, gave the assurance on Saturday during an interactive meeting with the commission’s staff from the six South-South states in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
He said the commission had fixed its statutory timetable and was already intensifying preparations for the elections, dismissing claims by some political parties that INEC was planning to shift the polls.
“Our statutory timeline is fixed. We will not change anything. The election must hold as scheduled,” Amupitan declared.
Under the revised timetable released following the enactment of the Electoral Act 2026, the presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold on February 6, 2027.
The revised dates replaced the earlier schedule of February 20 and March 6, 2027, respectively.
Addressing Resident Electoral Commissioners and other officials from the South-South zone, Amupitan reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to conducting peaceful, transparent and credible elections in accordance with the law.
He disclosed that Rivers State would receive special attention during the preparations because it has the highest number of registered voters in the region.
According to figures presented by the INEC chairman, Rivers has 3,736,434 registered voters, followed by Delta with 3,525,988, Edo with 2,865,263, Akwa Ibom with 2,566,198, Cross River with 1,928,978 and Bayelsa with 1,200,691.
The six states have a combined 15,823,550 registered voters.
“With the 3,736,434 registered voters for Rivers State, the state leads the South-South. By this, the commission will put more attention to what happens in Rivers State. It is your duty to ensure that no voter is disenfranchised because of operational failures,” he said.
Amupitan also disclosed that INEC had received more than 5,000 claims seeking corrections to details on the voters’ register, including names and dates of birth, as well as over 600 objections.
He said the commission was addressing the complaints to ensure the credibility of the register ahead of the elections, adding that the final register would be released on December 15.
The chairman explained that although the commission initially considered revalidating the entire voters’ register when he assumed office, it abandoned the idea because the exercise would have been too close to the general elections.
INEC’s preparations also come amid a growing national voter population. The commission recently disclosed that Nigeria’s registered voters had increased to 103,428,715 following the registration of more than 10.7 million additional voters through the Continuous Voter Registration exercise.
On the commission’s preparedness, Amupitan expressed confidence in its ability to deliver credible elections, citing lessons learnt from recent off-cycle governorship elections, particularly the Osun State governorship poll.
He said the Osun election recorded the highest voter turnout in the history of off-cycle elections in the country and was adjudged credible by local and international observers despite concerns over security.
“Osun State elections gave us the confidence that we can achieve this despite the noise. It is good that we had a series of those elections before the general elections because we learn lessons from every election,” he said.
He added that INEC would build on the experience gained from previous elections to improve its preparations for the 2027 polls.
“We will conduct elections that will move the nation forward and not an election that will bring it down,” he stated.
On election security, the INEC chairman said the commission was collaborating with security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services, to protect voters, electoral officials, ad hoc personnel and election materials.
He said the commission would not encourage Nigerians to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) only to leave them exposed to security threats when they turn out to vote.
“We want every part of Nigeria to be calm during the elections so that people can come out to vote. We will not tell them to take their PVCs and then will not guarantee their safety,” he said.
Amupitan also dismissed concerns that artificial intelligence (AI) and computer algorithms could determine the outcome of the 2027 elections, insisting that the decision would rest with Nigerian voters.
“It is the people of Nigeria that will decide the outcome of the elections and not AI or any algorithms,” he said.
He, however, acknowledged the growing cybersecurity threats associated with artificial intelligence, saying INEC was exploring ways to deploy technology to protect its digital infrastructure against possible attacks.
The chairman assured that the commission would strengthen the security of its systems and would not allow individuals or groups to undermine its operations.
He urged INEC officials across the South-South to remain committed to their responsibilities, noting that the credibility of the elections would largely depend on their conduct at polling units and other designated locations.
He warned that electoral officers and ad hoc personnel, including members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), who attempted to compromise the electoral process in their areas of assignment would face sanctions in accordance with the law.
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