The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured Nigerians that it is fully prepared to conduct the 2027 General Elections, despite delays in the amendment of the Electoral Act by the National Assembly.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN), gave the assurance on Wednesday during the Commission’s first quarterly consultative meeting with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Abuja.
According to him, INEC has already completed its election timetable and schedule of activities based on the existing Electoral Act. He noted, however, that any changes introduced by the amended law could affect parts of the schedule once it is passed.
“While we have made our submissions to the National Assembly, the timing and content of the amendment may have implications for certain items in our timetable. For now, the Commission has no option but to operate within the framework of the subsisting Electoral Act,” Amupitan said.
The INEC chairman also appealed to CSOs to help mobilise residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the Area Council elections scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026.
He disclosed that the ongoing PVC distribution exercise in the FCT would end on February 10, urging stakeholders to ensure no eligible voter is left out.
“We do not want anyone to be disenfranchised. As partners, we urge you to encourage FCT residents to go out and collect their PVCs,” he said.
Beyond PVC collection, Amupitan called on civil society groups to monitor the conduct of political parties and promote peaceful campaigns.
“Let us work together to discourage hate speech, vote buying, misinformation, disinformation and violence. Political actors must conduct their activities strictly within the law,” he added.
On preparations for the FCT polls, Amupitan revealed that 1,680,315 registered voters would vote across 2,822 polling units in Abaji, AMAC, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali Area Councils. He said 570 candidates are contesting chairmanship, vice-chairmanship and councillorship positions.
He added that INEC has already distributed non-sensitive materials, completed the recruitment and training of ad hoc staff, and is currently configuring BVAS devices for voter accreditation and result upload to the IReV portal. Sensitive materials, he said, would be delivered a day before the election.
INEC will also conduct a mock accreditation exercise on Saturday, February 7, in 289 selected polling units across the six Area Councils. A total of 83 domestic and five international observer groups have been accredited to monitor the elections.
Amupitan further disclosed that bye-elections would hold on the same day in Ahoada East II and Khana II State Constituencies in Rivers State, as well as Kano Municipal and Ungogo State Constituencies in Kano State.
In Rivers State, 41,085 voters are registered in Ahoada East II across 87 polling units, while 71,865 voters will participate in Khana II across 155 polling units. In Kano State, 330,228 registered voters will vote in Kano Municipal constituency across 630 polling units, while 205,418 voters are registered in Ungogo across 384 polling units. Ten political parties are participating in the bye-elections.
Looking ahead to 2027, the INEC chairman urged the National Assembly to fast-track the amendment of the Electoral Act and announced plans for a nationwide voter revalidation exercise.
“A credible voters’ register remains the foundation of free, fair and transparent elections. As part of our preparations, the Commission will conduct a nationwide voter revalidation exercise ahead of the 2027 General Election,” he said.
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