The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared that it has no preferred candidate or political party ahead of the 2027 general elections, pledging to uphold its neutrality and conduct credible polls.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, gave the assurance on Friday in Abuja when he received a pre-election fact-finding mission from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), led by former Sierra Leone Vice-President, Victor Bockarie Foh.
Amupitan said the commission’s commitment was to the rule of law and the will of Nigerian voters, insisting that it would not favour any political party or candidate in the forthcoming elections.
“INEC under my watch has no candidate and no political party,” he said. “Our sole allegiance is to the rule of law, the sovereign will of the Nigerian electorate, and the democratic progress of our nation.”
The INEC chairman disclosed that the commission had completed nine of the 14 major statutory activities outlined in its revised timetable for the 2027 elections, expressing confidence in its level of preparedness.
He said the commission had concluded three phases of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise and completed the nationwide physical display of the Preliminary Register of Voters.
Amupitan added that the national register of voters had surpassed 103 million, while the commission was working to address complaints and objections arising from the display of the preliminary register before certifying the final list.
The chairman said the 2027 elections would cover 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, involving 774 local government areas, 8,809 registration areas and 176,846 polling units.
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, following INEC’s revision of the electoral timetable to align with the Electoral Act 2026.
On the deployment of technology, Amupitan said INEC would use the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for fingerprint and facial biometric accreditation of voters, alongside electronic result management systems.
He also disclosed that the commission had introduced the eEC8A electronic verification platform to strengthen result management and verification through the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
The measures, he said, were aimed at improving the transparency and credibility of the electoral process.
On security, the INEC chairman said the commission was collaborating with relevant security agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to ensure adequate protection before, during and after the elections.
He said the commission was committed to creating a secure environment for voters, electoral personnel and other stakeholders to participate in the electoral process without fear.
Amupitan’s remarks come amid growing preparations for the 2027 general elections, with the commission conducting zonal readiness assessment tours to evaluate its operational capacity, logistics and infrastructure ahead of the polls.
Speaking on behalf of the ECOWAS delegation, Foh said the mission’s visit was part of the regional body’s efforts to assess electoral preparedness in member states approaching general elections.
He explained that the delegation would evaluate the preparedness of electoral stakeholders, identify possible challenges and determine areas where ECOWAS could provide technical and other forms of support.
The mission included Serigne Mamadou Ka, Head of the ECOWAS Electoral Assistance Division.
Foh said the exercise was being undertaken in accordance with Article 31 of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance and Article 53 of the ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework.
The provisions provide a framework for ECOWAS’ engagement in promoting democratic governance, credible elections and conflict prevention across the West African sub-region.
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