By Newsheadline247
INEC says Nigeria’s voter register has surpassed 103 million as Joash Amupitan assures ECOWAS of credible, transparent and peaceful 2027 elections
2027: INEC Assures ECOWAS of Credible Elections as Nigeria’s Voter Register Tops 103 Million
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) of its readiness to deliver credible, transparent and peaceful 2027 general elections, disclosing that Nigeria’s National Register of Voters has surpassed 103 million.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, gave the assurance while receiving the ECOWAS Pre-Election Fact-Finding Mission, led by former Sierra Leone Vice-President, Victor Bockarie Foh, at the Commission’s National Headquarters in Abuja.
Amupitan described the 2027 general elections as a defining moment in Nigeria’s democratic journey since 1999, noting that their successful conduct would have far-reaching implications for democratic stability and consolidation across West Africa.
He disclosed that INEC had completed nine of the 14 major statutory milestones outlined in its revised timetable and schedule of activities for the elections.
According to him, the Commission has concluded three phases of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise and completed the nationwide physical display of the Preliminary Register of Voters.
Providing an overview of the scale of the electoral exercise, the INEC chairman said the Commission would deploy personnel and technological resources across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, covering 774 Local Government Areas, 8,809 Registration Areas and 176,846 polling units.
He added that INEC had adopted a field-driven approach to assessing its preparedness, including zonal readiness assessment tours across the country’s six geopolitical zones.
On electoral technology, Amupitan reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to deploying the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for fingerprint and facial biometric accreditation, alongside electronic result management systems.
He also highlighted the introduction of the eEC8A electronic verification platform, which he said would complement transparent result management and verification through the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
On election security, the INEC chairman said the Commission was working with relevant security agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to strengthen security arrangements ahead of the polls.
Amupitan also called for stronger collaboration with ECOWAS in deploying long-term and short-term election observers, sharing technical expertise and tackling emerging electoral challenges, including disinformation, logistics and inclusive voter education.
He urged the regional organisation to sustain diplomatic engagement with political parties, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to promote peaceful campaigns and compliance with democratic commitments.
In his remarks, Foh explained that the fact-finding mission was part of ECOWAS’ established practice of assessing electoral preparedness in member states approaching general elections.
Foh, accompanied by the Head of the ECOWAS Electoral Assistance Division and Permanent Secretary of ECONEC, Serigne Mamadou Ka, said the mission was being conducted in line with Article 31 of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, Article 53 of the ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework and relevant decisions of the Authority of Heads of State and Government.
He said the mission was designed to assess the preparedness of electoral stakeholders and identify areas where the ECOWAS Commission could provide technical and institutional support.
The delegation disclosed that its consultations would cover political party leaders and coalitions, government representatives, the electoral management body, civil society organisations, security agencies and other relevant stakeholders.
The ECOWAS representatives stressed that the exercise was not restricted to assessing INEC’s preparedness but was also intended to provide a broader understanding of Nigeria’s political and institutional environment ahead of the elections.
Reaffirming the Commission’s neutrality, Amupitan declared: “INEC under my watch has no candidate and no political party.”
He added: “Our sole allegiance is to the rule of law, the sovereign will of the Nigerian electorate, and the democratic progress of our nation.”
