INEC and seamless 2027 polls

The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), has assured Nigerians that the 2027 general election will be free, fair, transparent and technologically driven. He also vowed that the Commission will not tolerate any misconduct in the electoral process. Amupitan who made the declaration at the induction and strategic retreat of the Commission in Lagos, said INEC was preparing for a rapidly evolving electoral arrangement that would meet the expectations of Nigerians.

According to him, 2027 provides INEC with a historic opportunity to rewrite the history of elections in Nigeria and set a new benchmark for election management in Africa. “Our goal is clear: The 2027 general election must be free and fair and be a watershed moment in Nigeria’s election history. But we must aim even higher. I want us to build an institution that is recognised globally. Let it be said that under our watch, INEC became the best election management body in Africa —a beacon of integrity, a model of technological efficiency, and a fortress of democratic values,” the INEC boss said.

For the INEC helmsman, the success of the 2027 polls must be more than a national victory but a continental standard, a proof-of-concept that demonstrates that the Commission can indeed conduct a world-class, technologically-driven, and transparent election that is beyond reproach. To achieve the objective, INEC is working on a template anchored on five non-negotiable pillars – to organise elections that are free from any form of interference; fair to all contestants and political parties; credible in the eyes of the global community; transparent in every process, from polling units to result collation; and inclusive of every Nigerian, regardless of physical ability or location.

The move by INEC chairman to conduct a transparent poll in 2027 is a welcome development. This is not the first time of his making a similar promise. At his inauguration on October 23, 2025, the INEC boss had pledged to engage stakeholders to ensure free, fair, and credible elections across the country. Let him fulfill his promise.

The bane of Nigeria’s electoral system has been the corruption of the exercise which manifests in rigging, ballot-snatching, violence and manipulation of the voting processes. Those in charge of elections had in the past promised delivering credible elections to Nigerians but failed to live up to their pledges.

The 2023 general election also fell below public expectations. Before the polls, the then INEC chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood, severally vowed to conduct the best ever election in the country. The introduction of the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV) was particularly advertised as safeguards against rigging. However, in the presidential election of February 25, 2023, in particular, the systems failed to work. Also, the March 18, 2023 governorship election was marred by rigging and violence. The outcome was quite demoralizing. Some Nigerians even vowed not to participate in future polls in the country.

The promise of credible polls in 2027 by INEC is therefore timely and commendable. The voters do not expect anything lesser from INEC under Amupitan. He should match his words with commensurate actions There is urgent need to sanitize the electoral system and make the loser willing to congratulate the winner. This will lessen post-election litigations. 

The 2027 election should be a radical departure from the previous ones that were marred by malfeasance. There should be no room for glitches this time around. The INEC promise of a credible poll coming a year to the poll is instructive. The time ahead is enough for INEC to adequately prepare for the elections. Nigerians expect the best from the INEC led by Amupitan.

The INEC chairman should be mindful of the legacies he would leave behind. Nigerians and the international community are going to hold him accountable on the conduct of the 2027 elections. There should be no room for error, given the importance of the 2027 elections to the corporate existence of the country. The outcome of the election should reflect the wishes of the people. INEC under Amupitan must ensure that the votes count.

To ensure success of the exercise, INEC should liaise with security agencies and other stakeholders to discourage vote buying and other electoral offences. There is need to maintain the privacy of the voting processes. Voters should be allowed to vote for the candidates of their choice. The Commission should deal decisively with those compromising the electoral integrity. We urge the government to give INEC to needed support to conduct a credible and transparent poll in 2027.