Moses Ofodeme
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has engaged political parties in a forum to address teething issues surrounding conduct of elections in the country.
Addressing the quarterly consultative meeting with leaders of political parties in Abuja, Chairman of the INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan, said, “As we begin preparations for the 2027 General Election, it is important that we collectively reflect on lessons learned from previous electoral cycles and address emerging challenges in a timely and transparent manner. Early engagement such as this provides an opportunity to identify concerns, clarify expectations, and strengthen our shared commitment to free, fair, credible, inclusive, and peaceful elections.”
Amupitan, stated that the meeting is particularly significant as it comes at a critical period in the electoral calendar, pointing “We are on the eve of important electoral activities that require close cooperation, transparency and sustained engagement between the Commission and political parties.”
He reminded them that the Ekiti State Governorship Election is scheduled for Saturday, 20th June 2026 and to ensure complete institutional transparency, the Commission recently led a high-level delegation to Ekiti State to undertake a comprehensive assessment of the Commission’s preparedness for the election.
The Register of Voters for the election contains a total of 1,059,360 registered voters. This figure reflects the addition of 66,664 new voters registered during the first and second phases of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise to the 2023 register of 987,647 voters. In line with our commitment to maintaining the integrity of the Register, 2,103 registrations identified as cases of double registration were invalidated.
He informed them that logistics arrangements, election technology deployment, training of election officials and stakeholder engagements are all proceeding according to schedule and reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to the simultaneous opening of all 2,445 Polling Units across the 16 Local Government Areas of the State at 8:30 a.m. on Election Day.
A major highlight of the recent engagement in Ekiti State was the signing of the Peace Accord by the participating political parties.
He commended the parties for demonstrating a commitment to peaceful, issue-based campaigns and for placing the collective interest of the people of Ekiti above partisan considerations. However, the Peace Accord must be more than a ceremonial exercise. I urge political parties to ensure that its principles are fully internalised and observed by party officials, candidates, agents and supporters throughout the electoral process.
“Let me also remind us that on the same day, Saturday, 20th June, 2026, the Commission will conduct Bye-Elections in constituencies where vacancies have occurred. They are Enugu North Senatorial District, Nasarawa North Senatorial District, Rivers South East Senatorial District, Ondo South Senatorial District, Dawakin Kudu/ Warawa Federal Constituency of Kano State and Zuru State Constituency of Kebbi State. The same operational standards, technological safeguards, and security arrangements deployed for the Ekiti Governorship Election will also apply to these bye-elections.” Amupitan said.
He said that as INEC finalise preparations for Ekiti State, attention is equally focused on the Osun State Governorship Election scheduled for Saturday, 15th August, 2026. The timetable and schedule of activities for the election are already being implemented and he urged all political parties to comply strictly with the prescribed timelines and regulatory requirements. The lessons learned from Ekiti will further strengthen our preparations and enhance the efficiency of our operations in Osun State.
He used the occasion to address recent judicial pronouncements relating to the Commission’s Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 General Election.
Amupitan said the Commission has carefully considered two recent judgments of the Federal High Court concerning the scope of its powers to prescribe timelines for electoral activities. In Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/517/2026 – Youth Party v. INEC, delivered on 20th May 2026, the Court questioned certain timelines contained in the Commission’s Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 General Election.
Subsequently, in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/720/2026 – Social Democratic Party (SDP) v. INEC, delivered on 26th May 2026, the Court affirmed the Commission’s authority to issue an electoral timetable and observed that “an election timetable, without date for submission of parties’ membership register, timeframe for primaries, etc. is inchoate. Without this timetable, there would be chaos in our electoral system.” At the same time, the Court nullified certain timelines relating to the nomination and substitution of candidates contained in the Commission’s Timetable and Schedule of Activities.
While the Commission remains fully respectful of the decisions of the Courts and of the judicial process generally, these judgments raise important legal questions concerning the extent of the Commission’s constitutional and statutory powers in coordinating and regulating electoral activities.
In view of the differing conclusions reached in the judgments and in order to ensure certainty and stability in preparations for the 2027 General Election, the Commission has filed appeals against the decisions and has taken the necessary legal steps to obtain authoritative pronouncements from the Appellate Courts.
The Commission’s position remains that the activities contained in the Timetable and Schedule of Activities are not isolated events. They are interrelated operational processes designed to ensure the orderly, transparent and successful conduct of elections. While the Electoral Act prescribes timelines for certain activities, there are several critical electoral processes for which no express statutory timelines are provided but which must necessarily be accommodated within the overall electoral calendar. The absence of coordinated timelines for such activities would create uncertainty, disrupt election planning and undermine the Commission’s constitutional responsibility to organise, undertake and supervise elections in an efficient and credible manner.
These activities include, among others, the submission and verification of party membership registers; the monitoring of party primaries across the Federation; the pre-upload of the names of winners of monitored primaries by political parties on the Commission’s designated portal as an accountability mechanism aimed at strengthening internal party democracy; the nomination process itself; the printing of ballot papers and result sheets; quality assurance procedures; deployment of election materials; training of election personnel; voter education and sensitisation activities; procurement of sensitive materials, the configuration of the BVAS machines and compliance with statutory obligations such as inviting political parties to inspect samples of electoral materials pursuant to Section 42 of the Electoral Act, 2026. Sometimes, environmental factors are also key, such as the Weather that called for the early deployment of sensitive materials and the terrain where those materials are to be deployed.
The Commission therefore considers it imperative that all electoral activities be harmonised within a coherent and workable framework that promotes certainty, transparency, administrative efficiency and equal treatment of all political parties.
“I wish to assure political parties and the Nigerian public that notwithstanding the pending appeals, the Commission remains firmly committed to conducting the 2027 General Election in strict compliance with the Constitution, the Electoral Act and all lawful judicial pronouncements.” he said.
Turning to party administration and preparations for forthcoming elections, he said the Commission has issued the Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2026 and the Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections, 2026, in line with section 151 of the Electoral Act, 2026.
“I acknowledge the conclusion of party primaries in the relevant jurisdictions. The primary election process remains the gateway to democratic governance, and its credibility directly impacts the quality and integrity of the electoral process.
Following the conclusion of the primaries, the Commission is transitioning to the candidate nomination phase. Accordingly, on Friday, 26th June, 2026, the Commission will issue official access codes to all political parties for the purpose of accessing the Candidate Nomination Portal.”
These access codes will enable designated national officers of political parties to upload the names, personal particulars and other required information relating to nominated candidates.
He also urged political parties to ensure that their ICT personnel and relevant officers are adequately prepared and that all submissions are completed well before the stipulated deadlines. The portal is fully automated and will close automatically at the expiration of the prescribed period.
Another important component of the preparations for future elections is the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration exercise.
The Commission he said remains committed to expanding voter access and ensuring that all eligible citizens are afforded the opportunity to participate in the democratic process and the data of every registered voters are protected.
“I therefore wish to reiterate that the current phase of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise provides an important opportunity for eligible Nigerians who have attained the age of eighteen years, as well as voters seeking transfers, corrections or updates of their records, to register and regularise their voter information.
“As political parties with structures in every ward and community across the country, I urge you to intensify voter education and mobilisation efforts so that eligible citizens take advantage of this opportunity and subsequently collect their Permanent Voter Cards.
“Leaders of political parties, the credibility of elections depends on our collective commitment to the rule of law, democratic values and the integrity of the electoral process. On its part, the Commission remains independent, impartial in the discharge of its constitutional responsibilities and firmly committed to ensuring that every valid vote counts and that the will of the Nigerian people is faithfully reflected in electoral outcomes. We shall continue to provide a level playing field for all political parties and candidates, while ensuring strict adherence to the Constitution, the Electoral Act, and all relevant guidelines.
“The success of the 2027 General Election will depend not only on the preparedness of the Commission but also on the commitment of political parties to uphold democratic principles, respect the rule of law, conduct transparent primaries, discourage violence and hate speech, vote buying and promote issue-based campaigns.
“I must not fail to express the concern of the Commission over several cases that are still pending in several courts, most of which still bother on leadership of the parties. We consider this an unnecessary distraction and wish all the issues are resolved without further delay.” he concluded.