The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has affirmed the Commission’s readiness to deliver credible, transparent and technology-driven elections ahead of the 2027 general polls.
Amupitan made this known at the Citizens’ Townhall Meeting held on Sunday, March 1, 2026, at the Sheraton Hotel in Abuja.
Reflecting on past international perceptions of Nigeria’s electoral process, he recalled attending a conference at Washington University in St. Louis where discussions about Nigeria were dominated by allegations of electoral fraud and cybercrime.
As the only Nigerian present, he said he challenged those narratives by presenting evidence of the country’s democratic resilience and institutional reforms.
According to him, Nigeria must continue to shape its global image through performance, reform and credibility—particularly in the conduct of elections.
The INEC chairman noted that the Commission played an active role in the nearly three-year, multi-stakeholder process that produced the 2026 Electoral Act, working closely with the National Assembly and civil society organisations.
He said the new law emphasises clarity, inclusiveness and accessibility to deepen public understanding and participation in the electoral process.
Addressing concerns over the electronic transmission of results, Amupitan clarified that delays experienced in certain areas—such as Karchi Ward in Kuje Area Council during the recent FCT Area Council election—were due to logistical and network challenges rather than systemic failure.
“Transmission did not fail.
The issue concerned the timing of upload, not the integrity of the process,” he said, explaining that safeguards in the Electoral Act ensure proper collation and transparency even where real-time uploads face temporary setbacks.
He described logistics as the backbone of electoral integrity, stressing that successful elections are measured by timely commencement, peaceful conduct of voting, effective result management and transparent declaration of outcomes.
Drawing lessons from the 2023 general election, Amupitan acknowledged that while technological systems performed effectively in some sub-national polls, scaling them to nationwide presidential elections exposed capacity challenges.
He assured that ahead of 2027, INEC would undertake comprehensive nationwide stress-testing of electoral technology, strengthen infrastructure across all states, conduct scenario-based simulations and reinforce backend systems to manage peak national demand.
Expressing optimism, the INEC chairman said the 2027 general election would be Nigeria’s best yet, emphasising that credible elections are fundamental to legitimacy, investor confidence and sustainable national development.
“Nigeria deserves elections that inspire trust, strengthen democracy and command global respect,” he stated.