The Commission issued its Revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 elections on February 26, 2026, containing 14 statutory milestones
By Mmesoma Onwuka
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured Nigerians and the international community that it will remain neutral and committed to delivering a credible 2027 General Election as preparations enter the final 100-day countdown.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, gave the assurance on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at a World Press Conference and National Stakeholders’ Meeting held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja.
Amupitan said the Commission had entered the final phase of preparations, with election materials already in production, election technology undergoing quality assurance, the voters’ register ready for public display and personnel training progressing.
“As we begin this 100-day sprint to the 2027 General Election, we reassure the nation and the international community of our total commitment to neutrality, operational excellence, and the sacred integrity of the ballot box,” he said.
He described the 100-day mark as more than a countdown, saying it represented a call to action as INEC moved into the final stage of preparations for elections that would meet standards of transparency, integrity and peaceful conduct.
INEC Reviews Electoral Preparations
Amupitan said that since assuming office on October 23, 2025, the Commission had conducted several off-cycle elections, including the Anambra, Ekiti and Osun governorship elections, FCT Area Council polls and various federal and state bye-elections.
According to him, reports from local and international observers showed that the elections met expected benchmarks of electoral integrity.
He added that the exercises enabled INEC to test improvements in early deployment of personnel and sensitive materials, logistics and intelligence-led security arrangements.
The INEC Chairman said the Commission issued its Revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 elections on February 26, 2026, containing 14 statutory milestones.
Nine milestones have been completed, he said, while the timetable has been translated into an operational plan covering INEC’s 23 headquarters departments and directorates, 36 state offices, the FCT and all 774 Local Government Area offices.
Voters’ Register Hits 103 Million
Amupitan said the three phases of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise produced 10,772,421 new voters, bringing the National Register of Voters to about 103 million.
He announced that the register would be displayed from October 9 to 15, 2026, to enable Nigerians to verify their details.
He also said distribution of Phase One Permanent Voter Cards to Local Government centres would begin on October 9.
On candidates, Amupitan said 18 of the country’s 22 registered political parties submitted 36 presidential and vice-presidential candidates.
The final list of National Assembly candidates was published on September 12, while the final list of governorship and State Houses of Assembly candidates is scheduled for publication on October 10.
57,000 New BVAS Devices
The Commission, according to Amupitan, is at an advanced stage of producing 57,000 new Bimodal Voter Accreditation System devices, with some already delivered.
He said procurement of ballot papers and result sheets was also nearing completion.
INEC will conduct a six-day stress test of configured BVAS devices from October 23 to 28, followed by a nationwide mock accreditation exercise in November.
Logistics for Election Day
Amupitan disclosed that INEC had renewed its Memorandum of Understanding with the National Union of Road Transport Workers, the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria and the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria.
The arrangement is expected to provide more than 100,000 vehicles and 4,000 boats for the movement of election personnel and materials.
He said sensitive materials would be moved from Central Bank of Nigeria vaults to Local Government Areas 72 hours before the elections and delivered to all 8,838 Registration Area Centres by 4pm on the eve of the polls.
The arrangement, he said, is designed to facilitate the opening of polling units by 7:30am nationwide.
INEC, Security Agencies Tackle Vote Buying
The INEC Chairman also announced the establishment of an Artificial Intelligence Division within the Commission’s ICT Department, with mandatory human oversight of its operations.
On election security, he said INEC, through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, would commence joint training for thousands of electoral security personnel.
He added that joint monitoring and undercover surveillance teams would work with the EFCC, ICPC and NFIU to monitor vote buying.
Those found violating electoral laws, he said, would face arrest and prosecution under the Electoral Act 2026.
Representing the Inspector General of Police, Assistant Inspector General of Police Alyonu Francis Idu said the police were conducting clearance operations in Kogi, Niger, Benue and Taraba states to address security flashpoints ahead of the elections.
Idu acknowledged that the security situation had created “pockets of fear here and there,” but said the police were working to address the crisis points and maintain social harmony.
He said the police would review their pre-election operations in November and provide an update by the end of December.
“We must use legitimate authority, not power, to regulate the conduct of the election,” Idu said.
1.4 Million Ad Hoc Personnel Required
INEC will require 707,384 ad hoc personnel for each of the two election days scheduled for January 16 and February 6, 2027.
This translates to 1,414,768 engagements across the country’s 176,846 polling units.
Recruitment through the INEC Portal for Recruitment of Election Staff opened on September 18 and will close at midnight on November 18, 2026.
INEC Warns Against AI-Generated Disinformation
The Commission has also raised concerns about the use of artificial intelligence to spread election-related disinformation.
Amupitan said generative AI, voice cloning and deepfake videos could be used to impersonate election officials and manipulate election materials.
He urged media organisations to establish fact-checking desks, verify information with INEC before publication and avoid announcing results independently compiled by private individuals or organisations.
“In national elections, it is far more important to be right than to be first,” he said.
He also announced that INEC’s Media Accreditation Portal would become operational before the end of October, urging media organisations intending to cover the elections to apply early.
Stakeholders Pledge Support
Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, Dr Yusuf Dantalle, congratulated INEC on the recently concluded Osun governorship election, describing it as an example of what Nigerians expect from the 2027 general elections.
He urged INEC officials to remain neutral and avoid supporting any political party or candidate.
Dantalle pledged the support of political parties to the Commission while reminding security agencies of their constitutional responsibilities.
He also urged the media to verify information before publication, noting the volume of false information circulating in the public space.
“This election will come and go, but Nigeria will remain,” he said, while calling on INEC to maintain regular engagement with political parties.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, Senator Simon Lalong, reaffirmed the National Assembly’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s electoral framework.
He described credible elections as a collective responsibility involving political parties, security agencies, the media, civil society and voters.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Hon. Adebayo Balogun, urged INEC to ensure prompt enforcement of constitutional and electoral provisions to minimise unnecessary litigation.
European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mingot, described INEC’s responsibility as “Herculean” and urged stakeholders to provide the Commission with adequate budgetary support.
Mingot also disclosed that the European Union would deploy an expert electoral mission to monitor developments before, during and after the elections.
INEC Promises to Implement Recommendations
In her vote of thanks, the Secretary to the Commission, Mrs Rose Oriaran Anthony, said INEC had taken note of the recommendations made by stakeholders.
She said the Commission would immediately begin translating the recommendations into operational plans and frameworks.
According to her, the engagement represented “a recommitment to the Nigerian project,” adding that the 2027 General Election would be owned by all Nigerians and not merely conducted by INEC.