Joash Amupitan, warning electoral officials against partisanship, negligence and deviations from laid-down procedures.
Amupitan spoke yesterday in Kaduna at the North-West zonal participatory meeting using group and readiness assessment for the 2027 general elections, saying the credibility of the elections would depend primarily on the conduct and competence of officials at polling units.
He said the commission had learnt lessons from preceding elections and current off-cycle polls, stressing that the success recorded in the Osun governorship election had raised expectations for the 2027 elections.
According to him, unlike the single-status Osun election, the 2027 polls would include all 36 states and the Federal Assets Territory, making meticulous preparation needed.
The INEC chairman said the Presidential and Countrywide Assembly elections were scheduled for January 16, 2027, although the governorship and situation Houses of Assembly elections would hold on February 6.
He identified voter apathy, declining audience trust and misinformation and disinformation as large challenges confronting the electoral procedure.
Amupitan warned that delays in opening polling units, perceived bias by officials and unsatisfactory explanation to specialized problems could additional fuel untrue narratives and deepen society distrust in the commission.
He said INEC would consequently strengthen its technology, finding administration systems, voter verification and influence transmission mechanisms ahead of the elections.
On voter registration, the chairman said the three phases of the Uninterrupted Voter Registration (CVR) conducted in the middle of August 2025 and July 2026 produced 10,772,421 novel registrations, theme to biometric verification.
He said the commission had additionally introduced digital registration and printable Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to decrease delays and confirm that eligible voters were not disenfranchised by logistical challenges.
Amupitan extra announced that the commission had commenced the procurement and distribution of novel functioning choose from-up vehicles to condition and nearby government offices nationwide.
He said the vehicles were expected to strengthen the mobility, security and functioning efficiency of electoral officials, notably in difficult terrains.
The chairman too disclosed that INEC had introduced a novel salary framework for its workforce and increased overheads for condition offices by 150 per cent from July 2026 to decrease functioning difficulties.
He directed officials to continue neutral, stressing that their responsibility was to implement the law rather than assist the interests of any candidate or political party.
Earlier, the Supervising Countrywide Commissioner for Kaduna, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, said the chairman’s zonal visits were aimed at identifying working challenges and addressing shortcomings observed in preceding elections.
Haruna said the chairman had, during a tour to the Emir of Zazzau, discussed preparations for the 2027 elections and the forthcoming selection of PVCs.
He added that the standard ruler had expressed problem over the behind opening of polling units during the 2023 universal elections.
The Self-sufficient Countrywide Electoral Commission (INEC) has unveiled a “zero-failure” working scheme for the 2027 ordinary elections, together with its chairman, Prof.
