The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that Nigeria’s National Register of Voters has crossed 103 million as preparations intensify for the 2027 General Election.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, disclosed this on Friday in Abuja while receiving the ECOWAS Pre-Election Fact-Finding Mission to Nigeria at the Commission’s national headquarters.
Amupitan said the 2027 elections represented a significant milestone in Nigeria’s democratic journey since the restoration of civilian rule in 1999, stressing that a credible, transparent and peaceful election in the country would remain critical to democratic stability across West Africa.
He said the Commission was preparing to conduct the elections across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, covering 774 Local Government Areas, 8,809 Registration Areas and 176,846 Polling Units.
According to him, the Presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for Saturday, January 16, 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold on Saturday, February 6, 2027.
The INEC chairman noted that the Commission had adopted a field-based approach to preparations, including Zonal Readiness Assessment Tours across the country’s six geopolitical zones to evaluate operational capacity and identify potential challenges ahead of the elections.
He disclosed that readiness assessments had been concluded in the South-West, North-West, South-East and North-East geopolitical zones, while the South-South assessment was scheduled to take place in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Amupitan explained that the assessments provided opportunities for the Commission to engage directly with field officials, inspect logistics and infrastructure, and consult traditional rulers and community leaders on electoral preparedness.
the INEC chairman said the Commission had successfully implemented nine of the 14 major statutory milestones contained in its revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 elections.
He said the Commission had also completed three phases of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise and concluded the physical display of the Preliminary Register of Voters at Registration Areas nationwide.
He added that the preliminary register had been made available on INEC’s dedicated online portal to enable members of the public scrutinise the records, make claims and raise objections before the certification of the Final Register of Voters scheduled for December 15, 2026.
Amupitan said INEC had strengthened its technological infrastructure to improve transparency, accountability and public confidence in the electoral process.
He explained that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) would be deployed for biometric accreditation using both fingerprint and facial recognition.
He further disclosed that the Commission’s electronic result management systems, including the newly introduced eEC8A electronic verification platform, would complement the existing INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) in ensuring transparency in the verification and transmission of election results.
The chairman emphasised that technological advancement alone could not guarantee credible elections without the commitment and welfare of personnel responsible for implementing the electoral process.
He said the Commission had secured approval for the Consolidated Election Management Body Salary Structure (CEMBSS), which removed its workforce from the regular civil service salary structure.
According to him, the administration had also secured a 150 per cent increase in state operational overheads to strengthen the Commission’s capacity to deliver its electoral responsibilities.
Amupitan, however, warned that improved staff welfare would be matched with strict accountability, noting that INEC maintained zero tolerance for administrative negligence, extortion and partisan conduct.
He said mandatory Oaths of Neutrality under Section 26 of the Electoral Act 2026 had been introduced to reinforce the Commission’s commitment to impartiality and professional conduct.
the INEC chairman said the Commission was working with relevant security agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to protect voters, election personnel and electoral materials.
He disclosed that the Commission had operationalised an intelligence-driven security framework known as the “ICCES Tentacle” to identify and address potential security threats ahead of the elections.
he explained, was designed to deploy early risk-mapping mechanisms to secure the country’s 176,846 polling units, protect ad-hoc election personnel, particularly members of the National Youth Service Corps, and ensure that voters, including Persons with Disabilities, could exercise their franchise without intimidation or obstruction.
Amupitan also called for stronger collaboration between INEC and regional and international stakeholders, particularly ECOWAS, as the country prepares for the 2027 elections.
He welcomed the proposed deployment of long-term and short-term ECOWAS Election Observation Missions, saying independent assessments by regional observers would contribute to the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process.
He further identified technical cooperation in combating electoral disinformation, improving election logistics in difficult terrains and strengthening inclusive voter education as areas where ECOWAS support would be valuable.
The INEC chairman also urged the regional body to sustain diplomatic engagement with political actors, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to promote peaceful elections and strengthen democratic commitments.
He stressed that the responsibility for credible elections extended beyond the electoral commission, noting that political parties, civil society organisations, the media and security agencies all had important roles to play.
According to him, political parties must uphold internal democracy and peaceful campaigning, while civil society organisations should intensify voter education and the media must remain committed to combating fake news and digital disinformation.
He said the findings and recommendations of the ECOWAS Pre-Election Fact-Finding Mission would provide valuable feedback for the Commission as it fine-tuned its operational plans ahead of the 2027 polls.
Amupitan assured the delegation that INEC was prepared to provide detailed briefings on its electoral preparations and operational readiness during the technical sessions.
The ECOWAS Pre-Election Fact-Finding Mission was led by former Vice-President of Sierra Leone, Victor Bockarie Foh, with former Executive Secretary of ECOWAS and former Speaker of the Parliament of Sierra Leone, Dr. Abbas Chernor Bundu, serving as Co-Head of Mission.
Also on the delegation was ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Ambassador Francess Piagie Alghali, alongside other distinguished members and technical experts.
Welcoming the delegation, Amupitan described the visit as an expression of the shared commitment of Nigeria and ECOWAS to constitutional governance, democratic integrity and regional accountability.
He said Nigeria’s democratic stability was closely connected to the collective peace, security and prosperity of the West African sub-region.
The chairman reaffirmed INEC’s neutrality, declaring that the Commission had no preferred candidate or political party in the forthcoming elections.
“Our sole allegiance is to the rule of law, the sovereign will of the Nigerian electorate, and the democratic progress of our nation,” he said.
He expressed appreciation to ECOWAS for its continued partnership and commitment to democratic governance in West Africa, while wishing the delegation a successful continuation of its fact-finding mission.
