Joseph Bakare
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),says the Commission is consolidating its operational strategies and deepening preparations for the 2027 General Election.
That notwithstanding, the Commission says it is open to collaboration with nations that believes in the unity of the country and sustenance of its democratic process.
Chairman, of the INEC, Joash Amupitan, expressed this view as he received Chargé d’Affaires of Canada to Nigeria, Mr. David Sproule, who visited him with other delegation from the Canadian High Commission.
Speaking during the visit, Amupitan, recalled that Canada has consistently stood out as a dependable international partner in supporting Africa’s democratic growth.
Over the years, he said Canada’s international development initiatives have meaningfully supported electoral governance, civic education, public institutional strengthening, and gender inclusion across Nigeria. For this sustained goodwill, the Commission expresses its sincere appreciation.
“Our primary mandate at INEC, which remains clear and non-negotiable, is to deliver free, fair, credible, transparent, and inclusive elections that accurately reflect the sovereign will of the Nigerian people.
“To achieve this, the Commission has treated every off-cycle election as a crucial proving ground for reform and operational perfection. Under this administration, we have systematically tested and enhanced our operational frameworks across major electoral exercises—from the Anambra governorship election and the FCT Area Council polls to the Ekiti governorship election.” Amupitan said.
He told the Envoy, that “Our meeting today comes at a pivotal time as we prepare for upcoming elections and seek to consolidate the gains of our recent electoral reforms. The Presidential and National Assembly elections will take place on Saturday 16th January, 2027, while the Governorship and House of Assembly elections are slated for 6th February, 2027. We remain focused on our shared priorities: enhancing voter participation, ensuring the security of the ballot, and building public trust in the electoral system.”
Most recently, Amupitan, said, “Our performance in the Osun State governorship election, conducted on Saturday, 15th August 2026, represented a superlative benchmark in electoral administration. Through early morning logistics deployment—where 3,556 out of 3,763 Polling Units (94.5%) opened for accreditation and voting precisely by 8:30 a.m.—optimal BVAS field performance, seamless result upload on the IReV portal, and proactive crisis management, Osun demonstrated what is possible when administrative foresight meets technological fortitude. We view the success in Osun not as a final destination, but as the gold standard that will guide our preparations for 2027.”
Furthermore, Wednesday, 19th August 2026, marked the official statutory commencement of public campaigns and rallies for the 2027 General Election. To foster political civility, the Commission also participated on Tuesday, 18th August 2026, alongside presidential candidates, in the National Peace Committee’s signing of the First National Peace Accord on Issue-Based Campaigns.
He said discussions with the Envoy will centres on shared strategic priorities, including Consolidating Technological Gains: Strengthening the reliability, field deployment, and cybersecurity of our electoral technology and public viewing platforms based on lessons from Osun.
Also, the meeting discussed Deepening Electoral Inclusivity: Expanding mainstream democratic access for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), women, youth, and historically underrepresented demographic groups across all 176,000 polling units nationwide.
In addition, they discussed Institutional Capacity & Technical Support: Exploring targeted international technical assistance, electoral research, and training frameworks that enhance our workforce’s execution capacity.
Added to that was Countering Misinformation & Safeguarding Integrity: Collaborating on strategic communications and civic education initiatives to combat election-related fake news and build sustained public trust.
The meeting also discussed Conduct of Mock accreditation in November 2026 to assess our readiness for the general election.
Amupitan said, “We will be subjecting our electoral equipment, the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), to a rigorous field test to fortify the sanctity of the ballot during the election. We will appreciate your partnership in ensuring the success of this Mock Accreditation.
According to him, Electoral administration is a multi-stakeholder enterprise. While INEC remains an unbiased umpire, support from domestic and international partners helps ensure our democratic processes evolve in step with global best practices.
“As we turn our full institutional focus toward the 2027 General Election, the Commission is scaling its administrative capacity to manage an unprecedented logistical operation. In 2027, INEC will deploy a workforce of approximately 1.4 million ad-hoc personnel across more than 176,000 Polling Units nationwide—representing one of the largest mobilisations of human resources for a national assignment in our country’s history.
“Mr. Sproule, I want to reassure you and the international community of this Commission’s absolute independence, neutrality, and unyielding commitment to democratic integrity, as clearly demonstrated in Osun State. We warmly welcome Canada’s continued interest, constructive engagement, and technical support as we build a more resilient electoral system for Nigeria.
“In our quest to remain proactive and responsive to modern challenges, I am pleased to inform you that the Commission has recently established a dedicated Artificial Intelligence (AI) Unit. As technology continues to reshape the global electoral landscape, we recognize the need to harness the power of AI to improve data management, voter registration, and results transmission, while remaining vigilant against the misuse of such technologies.
“In line with this commitment, INEC is eager to participate in the upcoming Global Conference on Responsible AI and Elections, organised by the UNDP and Elections Canada, scheduled for 9th to 11th September 2026 in Ottawa. We commend Global Affairs Canada, alongside the Spanish and Swedish development agencies, for providing this essential platform.
,The conference presents a timely opportunity for our Commission to deliberate on the responsible deployment of AI and to develop robust strategies to counter AI-driven threats like deepfakes and disinformation, which pose significant risks to electoral integrity worldwide. Your office’s kind intervention in facilitating the expedited processing of entry visas for the INEC delegation will be deeply appreciated.
“Mr. Charge d’Affaires, let me conclude by reiterating our gratitude for Canada’s continued support of Nigerian democracy. We look forward to a fruitful exchange of ideas today and to even deeper collaboration in the years ahead.” he concluded.