By Sandra Michaels
As preparations for the 2027 General Election gather momentum, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has declared open the South-West Zonal Interactive Meeting and Readiness Assessment for the 2027 General Election.
According to a statement made available to Nigerian Tribune, he described the engagement as a departure from over two decades of administrative tradition in which zonal preparations were handled solely through headquarters directorates.
The event, held in Lagos, marked the commencement of a six-zone national tour designed to assess the Commission’s operational preparedness ahead of the Presidential and National Assembly Elections.
Professor Amupitan said he was accompanied by National Commissioners and Directors from the Commission’s headquarters to engage directly with Electoral Officers and administrative staff, whom he described as the frontline guardians of Nigeria’s democracy.
The Chairman noted that the Commission was building on the success of recent off-cycle elections, particularly the Osun State Off-Cycle Governorship Election, which he said demonstrated the Commission’s capacity when operational discipline, technical competence, and administrative integrity converge.
He, however, cautioned that the scale of the 2027 General Election, a simultaneous exercise across 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, would demand a higher standard of performance than any single-state exercise.
Professor Amupitan identified voter apathy, a lingering trust deficit, and the spread of misinformation and disinformation as key challenges confronting the Commission, stressing that the conduct and competence of field staff remained the Commission’s strongest defence against false narratives.
