By Abdullahi Shettima
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, says it is stepping up preparations for the 2027 General Elections with a new operational and logistics strategy aimed at preventing failures on election day.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash O. Amupitan, stated this on Monday in Kaduna at the Commission’s North-West Zonal Staff Engagement and 2027 General Election Readiness Assessment.
Professor Amupitan said the Commission was applying a “Zero-Failure” protocol covering the movement and early deployment of election materials, security coordination and training of ad-hoc staff.
He announced that INEC had commenced the procurement and distribution of brand-new operational pick-up vehicles to its State Offices and Local Government Areas nationwide.
According to him, the deployment is expected to improve the mobility, security and operational efficiency of electoral officials across different terrains.
The INEC Chairman also said the Commission was refining its electoral technologies, including voter verification and result transmission systems, to minimise technical problems during the 2027 elections.
He said the recently introduced eEC8A Result Management System was being reviewed to ensure that the movement of election results from polling units to the national collation centre remains visible, verifiable and validated.
Professor Amupitan identified voter apathy, declining public trust, misinformation and disinformation as major challenges facing the electoral process.
He warned that poor conduct by electoral officials, including late opening of polling units, perceived bias and failure to properly communicate technical problems, could further undermine public confidence in elections.
The Chairman therefore directed INEC personnel to maintain strict neutrality, professionalism and adherence to the Electoral Act and the Commission’s regulations.
He said the credibility of the 2027 elections would depend not only on technology and legislation but also on how faithfully electoral officials implement the law at the grassroots.
The Presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold on February 6, 2027.
Editing By Yusuf Zubairu
