The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it has finalised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 General Election but it is waiting for the ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act, 2022 by the National Assembly to issue the timetable.
INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, SAN, at the first quarterly consultative meeting with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Abuja on Wednesday, said the commission is mindful of the growing public interest and anticipation surrounding the release of the timetable.
“Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022 empowers the commission to issue a notice of election not later than 360 days before the date of the poll.
“While the National Assembly is currently working on amendments to the Electoral Act, the commission has made its submission as required,” he said.
Prof. Amupitan stated that the timetable will be released in compliance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and the Electoral Act, 2022.
He urged the National Assembly to expedite action on the amendment process, adding however that the commission might be forced to issue the timetable if the amendment continues to be delayed.
The INEC Chairman disclosed that the commission will embark on revalidation of register of voters to further sanitise and strengthen the integrity of the register.
According to him, Nigeria has a total number of 93,469,008 registered voters, as at 2023 general election, but said the commission has been facing “persistent challenges, including duplicate registrations, under-age registration, registration by non-citizens, deceased voters and incomplete or inaccurate records.
Prof. Amupitan disclosed that names of prominent deceased politicians are still in register of voters, adding that such anomalies undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
“Register of voters remains the bedrock of free, fair and transparent elections. No electoral process can command public confidence without trust in the integrity of its voters’ register.
“Nigeria’s national register, first compiled ahead of the 2011 general election, has since been continuously updated and deployed in the general elections of 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023, as well as in several off-cycle governorship and bye-elections,” he said.
Prof. Amupitan disclosed that INEC will soon announce successful political association(s) that met condition for registration as political parties, pointing out that many of the 171 associations that applied for registration, were unable to fulfil the constitutional requirements and the requirements of the Electoral Act, 2022, as well as the regulations and guidelines for political parties.
“The associations were assessed in line with Section 222 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), Section 79(1), (2) and (4) of the Electoral Act, 2022, as well as Clause 2 of the commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022,” he added.
The INEC Chairman stated that a total of 1,680,315 registered voters will vote in the February 21 Area Council elections in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“It will be contested by 570 candidates in 68 constituencies for the positions of Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen, and 62 councilors made up of 10 wards each for five Area Councils and 12 wards for the Abuja Municipal Area Council,” he added.
He disclosed that non-sensitive materials have been delivered and batched at each Area Council, while recruitment and training of ad hoc personnel have been concluded, and bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS) devises were being configured for accreditation and upload of results to the IReV portal.
Prof. Amupitan assured that sensitive materials will be delivered a day before the election.
“There will be a mock accreditation on Saturday, 7th February 2026, in 289 selected polling units (PUs) across the six Area Councils.
“While INEC has deployed specialised resources and targeted sensitisation programmes to empower voters with disabilities and ensure inclusivity, 83 domestic and five foreign observers have been accredited for the polls,” he added.
According to him, INEC will also conduct by-elections in Ahoada East II and Khana II State Constituencies of Rivers State, and in Kano Municipal and Ungogo State Constituencies of Kano State same day.
The INEC Chairman stated that the commission will end distribution of permanent voter’s cards (PVCs) for the FCT Area Council elections on February 10, and appealed to the CSOs to assist in sensitising registered voters to collect their PVC so as to participate in the elections.
“We do not want anyone to be disenfranchised.
“Also, let’s work together to monitor the activities of the political parties, especially their campaigns and general conduct in the election.
“Let’s sensitise the public, particularly political party members, to refrain from hate speech, vote buying, misinformation, disinformation and violence during campaigns, and to conduct their activities strictly within the framework of the law.
“There is still so much to be done in the areas of civic, voter education and gender inclusion amid the rising voter apathy that we have experienced in recent election cycles.
“Let’s collaborate to tackle this malaise,” he pleaded.
