By Gabriel Ameh
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned its personnel against partisan conduct, administrative negligence and ethical breaches as preparations intensify for the 2027 General Election.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, gave the warning in Kaduna on Monday during the Commission’s North-West Zonal Interactive Meeting with Staff and Readiness Assessment for the 2027 elections.
Amupitan said the neutrality and professionalism of electoral officials would be critical to maintaining public confidence in the electoral process.
He cautioned that delays in opening polling units, perceived bias by officials, poor attitudes towards voters and inadequate responses to technical challenges could undermine confidence in the elections and create room for disinformation.
The INEC chairman urged staff to strictly comply with the Electoral Act, the Commission’s regulations and guidelines governing elections.
He also directed personnel to escalate operational challenges through established institutional channels rather than allowing unresolved issues to affect election administration.
According to Amupitan, field officials represent the Commission in their communities and must understand the law, know their responsibilities, remain neutral and properly document their activities.
The Kaduna meeting forms part of INEC’s six-zone nationwide readiness assessment aimed at identifying operational challenges and strengthening preparations ahead of the 2027 elections.
INEC Announces October 9 PVC Collection
At the meeting, INEC also announced that nationwide collection of newly issued Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) will commence on October 9, 2026.
The Supervising National Commissioner for Kaduna, Mohammed Haruna, urged traditional rulers to encourage eligible Nigerians to collect their cards and participate in the electoral process.
The new PVCs follow the latest Continuous Voter Registration exercise. Reports from the Kaduna engagement indicate that more than 10.7 million new registrations were recorded across the exercise, subject to verification.
INEC has scheduled the Presidential and National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are scheduled for February 6, 2027.
Commission Reviews Operational Readiness
Director of Planning and Monitoring, Helen Ajayi, said the zonal assessment was designed to evaluate the preparedness of states, identify operational challenges and ensure that staff remained aligned with INEC’s Code of Conduct.
Representatives of the Voter Education and Publicity, Voter Registry, ICT, Human Resources, and Election and Operations departments also briefed participants on their respective responsibilities and preparations for the 2027 elections.
Amupitan also announced the procurement and distribution of new operational pickup vehicles to INEC state offices and Local Government Areas across the country.
He said the vehicles are intended to improve staff mobility, security and operational efficiency as the Commission continues preparations for the elections.
INEC’s current election calendar lists the 2027 Presidential/House of Assembly election for January 16 and the Governorship/State House of Assembly election for February 6.
Credit: Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) / Reports from the North-West Zonal Interactive Meeting in Kaduna.
