INEC CHAIRMAN ENGAGES NORTH-WEST STAFF AHEAD OF 2027 GENERAL ELECTIONS

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has intensified preparations for the 2027 General Elections, with its Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, engaging electoral officers and senior staff across the North-West Zone to assess their level of readiness and address potential operational challenges.

Amupitan made the call on Monday, September 28, 2026, in Kaduna during the Commission’s North-West Zonal Interactive Meeting with Staff and Readiness Assessment for the 2027 General Election. The engagement is part of a six-zone nationwide exercise designed to identify challenges in election administration and develop solutions ahead of the polls.

The INEC Chairman urged officials to remain neutral, professional and guided by the law, warning that partisan behaviour, administrative negligence and breaches of the Commission’s ethical standards would not be tolerated. He emphasised that electoral officials working directly with voters are critical to public confidence in the electoral process.  

Amupitan also stressed the importance of addressing operational difficulties before election day. He encouraged staff to report challenges through established channels rather than resorting to informal procedures or shortcuts, noting that weaknesses at the grassroots level could affect the credibility of the elections.

According to the Commission, the readiness assessment is focusing on areas including logistics, voter registration and PVC collection, information and communication technology, election operations, voter education, human resources and staff welfare. Directors and representatives from relevant departments made presentations during the Kaduna engagement.  

As part of the preparations, INEC has announced that the collection of newly printed Permanent Voter Cards will commence nationwide on October 9, 2026. The Commission is also procuring and distributing operational vehicles to its state offices and Local Government Areas to improve staff mobility and operational efficiency.  

The engagement also followed a visit by Amupitan and other senior INEC officials to the Emir of Zazzau, Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, where the Commission sought the support of traditional institutions in promoting voter participation and peaceful elections. The Emir, in response, called for timely distribution of electoral materials and attention to previous operational challenges.  

The North-West meeting therefore forms part of INEC’s broader effort to strengthen internal preparedness, improve field operations and ensure that electoral officials understand their responsibilities well ahead of the 2027 elections.