The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has firmly declared its strict neutrality ahead of the 2027 general elections, assuring the public that the commission holds no allegiance to any political party or candidate. 

INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan made this commitment in Abuja while hosting a pre-election fact-finding mission from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The delegation was led by former Sierra Leone Vice-President Victor Bockarie Foh and included Serigne Mamadou Ka, head of the ECOWAS Electoral Assistance Division.

Comprehensive Electoral Preparations and Statistics

Detailing the commission's extensive readiness nationwide, Chairman Amupitan reported that comprehensive preparations are actively underway across all geopolitical zones. Key operational highlights include:

• Voter Statistics: Nigeria's official voter register has now surpassed 103 million registered voters.

• Geographical Scope: Voting will take place across 774 local government areas and 8,809 registration areas nationwide.

• Milestone Progress: INEC has successfully completed nine out of the 14 major statutory milestones outlined in its revised election timetable, alongside three phases of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise and the physical nationwide display of the preliminary voter register.

Technology and Security Integration

To ensure a transparent, credible, and efficient electoral process, INEC is deploying advanced technological systems and strengthening inter-agency collaboration:

• Biometric Accreditation: The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) will be utilized for both facial and fingerprint biometric verification.

• Result Management: The commission is integrating electronic result management systems, featuring the new eEC8A electronic verification platform to complement verification through the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).

• Electoral Security: Robust security arrangements are being coordinated alongside relevant security agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to safeguard the polls.

ECOWAS Regional Support and Evaluation

Speaking on behalf of the regional body, Victor Bockarie Foh explained that the mission's visit forms a vital part of ECOWAS's broader efforts to evaluate electoral preparedness in member states approaching general elections.

The evaluation is being conducted in strict accordance with Article 31 of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, as well as Article 53 of the ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework. The assessment aims to review the readiness of key electoral stakeholders and identify strategic areas where regional support can be effectively provided.