By Gabriel Ameh
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash O. Amupitan, SAN, on Wednesday held his first quarterly consultative meeting with media executives, outlining key electoral activities ahead of the 2027 General Election and reaffirming the Commission’s commitment to credible, transparent polls.
The meeting, held at the INEC Conference Room in Abuja on 4 February 2026, provided an opportunity for the Commission to brief the media on upcoming elections, voter registration updates, and preparations across the country.
Amupitan reflected on the successful conduct of the Anambra State off-cycle governorship election held on 8 November 2025, barely 15 days after he assumed office.
He noted that the election, which featured candidates from 16 political parties and over 2.8 million registered voters, was widely acknowledged as credible, inclusive, and transparent. He commended the media for responsible and accurate reporting, which he said helped strengthen public trust in the electoral process.
Turning to upcoming polls, the INEC Chairman announced that preparations are in top gear for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections scheduled for Saturday, 21 February 2026. He disclosed that 1,680,315 registered voters are expected to vote across 2,822 polling units in the six Area Councils.
According to him, non-sensitive materials have already been deployed, electoral officers trained, and BVAS devices configured, while sensitive materials will be delivered a day before the election. A mock accreditation exercise, he added, will be conducted on 7 February 2026 in 289 selected polling units.
Amupitan also confirmed that bye-elections will be conducted the same day in Ahoada East II and Khana II State Constituencies in Rivers State, as well as Kano Municipal and Ungogo constituencies in Kano State, following the resignation and death of serving lawmakers.
On governorship timelines, he stated that the Ekiti State governorship election will be held on 20 June 2026, while Osun State will go to the polls on 8 August 2026, in compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
Providing updates on voter registration, the INEC Chairman revealed that 2,782,587 eligible voters were registered during the first phase of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise. The second phase, he said, will continue until 17 April 2026.
He further disclosed that the Commission has received 171 applications from associations seeking registration as political parties, stressing that only those that meet constitutional and legal requirements will be approved.
Amupitan urged the media to intensify public awareness on Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection in the FCT, which ends on 10 February 2026. He also called on journalists to help combat hate speech, vote buying, misinformation, and election-related violence.
“Elections are no longer contested only at polling units but also in the information space,” he said, urging journalists to rely on INEC’s official communication channels.
The INEC Chairman reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to sustained engagement with the media as preparations intensify for the 2027 General Elections.
