By Mercy Peter
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, has reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to conducting credible, transparent and inclusive elections as preparations intensify for multiple polls in 2026 and the 2027 General Election.
Professor Amupitan gave the assurance on Wednesday in Abuja at INEC’s first Quarterly Consultative Meeting with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) for the year, describing the engagement as a critical platform for strengthening collaboration with key electoral stakeholders.
Addressing leaders of CSOs, National Commissioners, senior INEC officials and members of the press corps, the INEC Chairman noted that 2026 would be a busy electoral year, calling for sustained dialogue and cooperation in navigating the evolving electoral landscape.
Reflecting on his early days in office, Professor Amupitan recalled that barely two weeks after assuming office, the Commission successfully conducted the Anambra State off-cycle Governorship Election on November 8, 2025.
He said the poll, which featured candidates from 16 political parties and over 2.8 million registered voters across 5,718 polling units, was conducted with openness, accountability and strict adherence to the law.
He commended stakeholders, particularly CSOs, for their cooperation and highlighted the deployment of sign language interpreters as a major milestone in advancing electoral inclusivity.
The INEC Chairman announced that the next major election on the Commission’s calendar is the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council Elections scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026. The elections will involve 1,680,315 registered voters across 2,822 polling units in the six Area Councils of the FCT.
According to him, 570 candidates will contest elections into 68 constituencies for chairmanship, vice-chairmanship and councillorship positions. He disclosed that most activities outlined in the timetable released in January 2025 have been completed, while campaigns are to end on Thursday, February 19, 2026.
Professor Amupitan said non-sensitive materials have been delivered, ad hoc personnel trained, BVAS devices configured and sensitive materials scheduled for delivery a day before the poll. He added that a mock accreditation exercise will hold on February 7, 2026, in 289 selected polling units across the FCT, with details to be published on INEC’s website.
He further revealed that 83 domestic and five foreign observer groups have been accredited for the elections, alongside targeted voter sensitisation programmes to support persons with disabilities.
INEC will also conduct bye-elections on February 21, 2026, in Ahoada East II and Khana II State Constituencies of Rivers State following the resignation and death of the sitting members. Voting will take place in 242 polling units across 14 wards, involving over 112,000 registered voters.
Similarly, bye-elections will hold in the Kano Municipal and Ungogo State Constituencies of Kano State due to the demise of the respective legislators. More than 535,000 registered voters are expected to participate across over 1,000 polling units, with ten political parties fielding candidates.
The INEC Chairman confirmed that the Ekiti State Governorship Election will hold on June 20, 2026, while the Osun State Governorship Election is scheduled for August 8, 2026, in line with the Electoral Act, 2022. He noted that activities outlined in the timetables for both elections are progressing as scheduled.
On the much-anticipated 2027 General Election, Professor Amupitan assured Nigerians that the timetable and schedule of activities will be released in strict compliance with the Constitution and the Electoral Act.
He, however, called on CSOs to support INEC in urging the National Assembly to expedite action on the ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act.
Emphasising the importance of a credible voters’ register, the INEC Chairman announced plans to conduct a nationwide Voter Revalidation Exercise ahead of the 2027 General Election to address issues such as duplicate entries, under-age registration and outdated records.
He also disclosed that over 2.78 million new voters were registered during the first phase of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, with the second phase running from January 5 to April 17, 2026. The CVR exercise, he said, will conclude in August 2026, with registration data published weekly for transparency.
Professor Amupitan revealed that INEC received 171 letters of intent from associations seeking registration as political parties, noting that only those that meet constitutional and legal requirements will be approved, with announcements to follow.
He urged CSOs to help mobilise residents of the FCT to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the February 10, 2026, deadline and to work with INEC in monitoring political parties’ conduct, discouraging hate speech, vote buying, misinformation and violence.
the INEC Chairman called for renewed collaboration in addressing voter apathy, strengthening civic and voter education, and promoting gender inclusion.
“As we look towards the 2027 General Elections, it is imperative that we remain vigilant and proactive. This is a collective responsibility, and each of you plays a vital role in fostering democracy in Nigeria,” he said, reaffirming INEC’s openness to continuous engagement with civil society.
