The Independent National Electoral Commission has assured Nigerians that it is fully prepared for the 2027 General Elections, even as the amendment of the Electoral Act remains pending at the National Assembly.
The assurance was given on Wednesday in Abuja by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), during the commission’s first quarterly consultative meeting with Civil Society Organisations.
Prof. Amupitan said the commission had already concluded its election timetable and schedule of activities in line with the existing legal framework.
“The commission has finalised its timetable and programme of activities based on the provisions of the current Electoral Act. While we have made submissions to the National Assembly on proposed amendments, we must, for now, operate within the law as it stands,” he said.
He noted that although the timing and content of the amended Electoral Act could affect some elements of the election calendar, INEC would continue preparations to avoid delays.
“The passage of the amendment may have implications for certain aspects of our schedule, but that will be addressed when it is concluded,” Amupitan added.
The INEC chairman also appealed to civil society groups to support voter mobilisation efforts, particularly in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), ahead of the Area Council elections scheduled for February 21, 2026.
“The ongoing Permanent Voter Card distribution in the FCT will end on February 10, 2026. We do not want any eligible voter to be disenfranchised, and we urge our partners to help mobilise residents to collect their PVCs,” he said.
Beyond PVC collection, Amupitan called on CSOs to monitor political activities and promote peaceful participation in the electoral process.
“We must work together to monitor political parties, especially during campaigns, and sensitise the public against hate speech, vote buying, misinformation, disinformation and violence,” he said.
Providing updates on the FCT elections, the INEC boss disclosed that 1,680,315 registered voters would vote across 2,822 polling units in the six Area Councils—Abaji, AMAC, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali.
According to him, 570 candidates will contest chairmanship, vice-chairmanship and councillorship positions.
He added that non-sensitive election materials had been delivered to Area Council offices, while recruitment and training of ad hoc staff had been completed.
“We are currently configuring BVAS devices for accreditation and upload of results to the IReV portal. Sensitive materials will be delivered a day before the elections,” Amupitan said.
He also announced that a mock accreditation exercise would hold on Saturday, February 7, in 289 selected polling units, noting that 83 domestic and five foreign observer groups had been accredited to monitor the polls.
Amupitan further confirmed that bye-elections would take place on the same day in parts of Rivers and Kano states, involving over 640,000 registered voters across the affected constituencies.
Looking ahead to 2027, the INEC chairman urged the National Assembly to expedite work on the Electoral Act amendment and revealed plans for a nationwide voter revalidation exercise.
“A credible voters’ register is the foundation of free, fair and transparent elections. As part of our preparations, the commission will conduct a nationwide voter revalidation exercise ahead of the 2027 General Election,” he said.
