The Independent National Electoral Commission has vowed that the 2027 general election will produce an outcome that reflects the sovereign will of Nigerian voters, declaring that it will not compromise its independence, neutrality or professionalism in the electoral process.
INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, gave the assurance on Tuesday when the African Union Pre-Election and Needs Assessment Mission, led by former Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister, Demeke Mekonen Hassen, visited the commission in Abuja.
Amupitan, who was represented by National Commissioner Rhoda Gumus, said all administrative decisions by the commission would be guided strictly by the law, while technology would be deployed to deepen transparency, strengthen the credibility of the process and boost public confidence.
“The final outcome of the 2027 General Election will reflect nothing less than the sovereign will of the Nigerian electorate,” he declared.
The chairman’s assurance comes as INEC intensifies preparations for what is expected to be one of the largest electoral exercises in the country’s history, involving almost 100 million registered voters, 176,846 polling units and more than 1.4 million ad hoc personnel.
The 2027 elections are scheduled to hold in two phases, with the presidential and National Assembly elections fixed for January 16, 2027, while the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold on February 6.
Amupitan said recent off-cycle elections had enabled the commission to test key reforms introduced under the Electoral Act 2026 and identify areas requiring further improvement ahead of the general election.
He cited the August 15 Osun State governorship election, where, according to him, early logistics deployment resulted in more than 94 per cent of polling units opening on time.
The INEC chairman also highlighted the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, the results viewing portal and enhanced security coordination as critical areas where lessons had been gathered for the 2027 elections.
Another major reform being pursued by the commission, he said, was collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission to integrate the National Identification Number into the Continuous Voter Registration system.
The integration, Amupitan said, would assist INEC in verifying voter identities and cleaning up the national voter register ahead of the elections.
However, the commission identified technology, logistics and political dynamics as major areas requiring sustained attention, particularly as the election approaches.
Amupitan consequently sought technical assistance from the African Union in tackling emerging threats posed by artificial intelligence, including election disinformation and AI-generated deepfakes.
He also requested support for digital training of ad hoc election personnel, strengthening the Election Monitoring and Support Centre and improving the participation of women, youths, persons with disabilities, internally displaced persons and other groups considered underrepresented in the political process.
The INEC chairman said the commission remained open to cooperation with international partners as part of efforts to ensure that the 2027 election meets the expectations of Nigerians and the wider international community.
Earlier, Hassen said the AU mission was in Nigeria from September 13 to 19 as part of its pre-election assessment process and was designed to identify possible gaps in the electoral system before, during and after the polls.
He stressed that the mission was a support mechanism and would not interfere with the independence of INEC.
“Our task is just a supporting mission,” Hassen said, explaining that the team would assess the electoral environment and make recommendations aimed at strengthening the credibility of the elections.
The AU delegation is expected to engage political parties, civil society organisations, security agencies, the media and other key stakeholders during its assessment.
The mission will scrutinise the credibility of the voter register, preparedness of the results management system, logistics, election funding, inclusion, security and transparency in the management and declaration of results.
It will also assess whether the electoral environment provides the minimum conditions for credibility, transparency, fairness, inclusiveness and a level playing field for all political actors.
With the 2027 elections drawing closer, the twin challenges of technology-driven manipulation and logistics have emerged as major concerns for electoral stakeholders.
INEC said it would continue to cooperate with the AU mission while strengthening its systems and processes to deliver an election capable of commanding the confidence of voters and reflecting their freely expressed choice.
COURTESY: thepointng.com
