RismadarVoice Reporters
November 12, 2026
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, has appealed to Nigerians to restore their confidence in the electoral body, assuring them of his commitment to conducting free, fair, credible and inclusive elections in 2027.
Amupitan gave the assurance on Thursday during a dialogue at Chatham House, London, organised in partnership with the Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI).
The event, titled Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Democratic Trajectory and Regional Stability Beyond the Ballot, examined preparations for the forthcoming polls and their implications for democratic stability.
The INEC chairman acknowledged that controversies surrounding the 2023 general elections, particularly difficulties with electronic result transmission, had significantly weakened public confidence in the commission.
He disclosed that INEC had developed additional safeguards intended to prevent inaccurate polling unit results, including figures showing over-voting, from being uploaded to its Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
According to him, the commission aims to ensure that results are properly verified before transmission, thereby improving transparency during collation.
Amupitan also announced that INEC would conduct a nationwide mock accreditation and voting exercise on November 28, 2026, to test election technology and result-transmission procedures.
Addressing concerns about the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), he said the commission was improving storage conditions and increasing the number of available devices.
He disclosed that the maximum number of registered voters assigned to each BVAS machine had been reduced from 1,250 to 850 to minimise accreditation delays.
On election funding, Amupitan acknowledged that INEC had received a substantial portion of its budget but was still awaiting outstanding allocations, which the government had promised to release before the end of November.
Responding to allegations questioning his political neutrality, he denied operating a controversial social media account and maintained that his loyalty remained with the Constitution and electoral laws.
He also promised to examine complaints concerning alleged irregularities in the voter register, including disputed registration figures in Ebonyi State.
Amupitan urged young Nigerians to participate in the democratic process and avoid spreading unverified information.
The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will follow on February 6, 2027.
