2027: INEC Concludes Nationwide Operational Readiness Tour in Lokoja

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially concluded its nationwide operational readiness tour ahead of the 2027 General Election, with the Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, announcing that nine out of the 14 major statutory milestones in the election timetable have been successfully executed.
​Prof. Amupitan made the declaration on Friday, November 6, 2026, in Lokoja, Kogi State, during the North-Central Zonal Interactive Meeting with Staff and Readiness Assessment, which marked the final leg of the national tour.
​The strategic meeting brought together National Commissioners, Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), Headquarters Directors, Administrative Secretaries, and Electoral Officers from across the zone, following earlier readiness assessments conducted in the South-West, North-West, South-East, North-East, and South-South.
​Over 103 Million Voters to Participate in 2027 Polls
​Highlighting the scale of the upcoming general elections, Prof. Amupitan revealed that the 2027 polls will involve more than 103 million registered voters across 176,846 polling units nationwide.
​Under the statutory timetable:
​Presidential and National Assembly Elections: Scheduled for January 16, 2027.
​Governorship and State Houses of Assembly Elections: Scheduled for February 6, 2027.
​The Chairman directed all INEC personnel to suspend annual leave requests until after the elections, warning that any staff involved in partisanship, negligence, financial impropriety, or absenteeism would face strict sanctions under Section 26 of the Electoral Act 2026.
​”You are the human bridge translating the Electoral Act 2026 into democratic reality. Know the law, understand your responsibility, maintain absolute neutrality, document every action, and protect the integrity of the ballot,” Amupitan charged staff.
​Key Infrastructure, Logistics, and Welfare Upgrades
​To bolster operational efficiency and insulate staff from external pressures, the Commission unveiled a series of administrative, logistical, and technological upgrades:
​Staff Welfare: Implementation of the newly approved Consolidated Election Management Body Salary Structure (CEMBSS), enhanced field and hazard allowances, and a 150 percent increase in monthly overhead allowances to state offices effective July 1, 2026.
​Logistics Deployment: Distribution of operational pickup trucks to state and LGA offices, along with 20 Sports Utility Vehicles for RECs and new operational vehicles for Administrative Secretaries.
​Tech Integrity & BVAS Facilities: Ongoing configuration of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices—including 57,000 newly acquired units—and independent security audits of electronic result transmission channels linking to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV). Amupitan also commissioned a state-of-the-art climate-controlled BVAS storage facility in Lokoja to extend device battery and operational lifespans.
​Voter Register: The digital PVC Location Portal and preliminary register display have been activated, with the final certified Register of Voters slated for publication on December 15, 2026.
​Security Strategy and Regional Breakdown
​Unveiling an intelligence-led security framework under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) dubbed the “ICCES Tentacle,” Amupitan warned political actors against threatening electoral personnel or National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) ad-hoc staff.
​”Insecurity may pose a challenge, but our constitutional resolve is stronger. Anyone attempting to threaten, intimidate, or harm our ad-hoc staff, NYSC members, or permanent personnel will face the full weight of the law,” he declared.
​Describing Kogi State as an essential electoral corridor sharing borders with 10 states and the FCT, the Chairman noted that the North-Central zone accounts for 15,448,869 registered voters.