2027: Trust me to deliver credible elections - Amupitan tells Nigerians

In a recent dialogue held at Chatham House in London, UK, the President of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, addressed Nigerians and pledged his commitment to conducting free, fair, credible, and inclusive elections in 2027. The assurance came against the backdrop of widespread concerns about the credibility of the 2023 general election.

Amupitan acknowledged that technical issues during the electoral process had negatively impacted public confidence in the commission. However, he assured Nigerians that steps had been taken to address these issues and rebuild trust. During the 2023 election, the majority of the problems arose during the collation of results. Amupitan revealed that the commission had implemented technological measures to identify and prevent inaccurate polling unit results from being uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).

He assured that Nigerians would be able to rely on the results displayed on the portal. Furthermore, Amupitan highlighted the commission's successful performance in the recent off-cycle governorship elections in Anambra and Osun states, where they were able to declare the results the day after voting. The INEC chairman also announced that a nationwide mock accreditation and voting exercise would take place on November 28, 2026, to evaluate their readiness for the 2027 general election.

Lastly, Amupitan emphasized that his prior involvement in legal disputes concerning political matters would not sway his impartiality as the electoral umpire. He reiterated that his commitment lay solely with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act.