The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), has pledged that the 2027 General Election will be free, fair, transparent and firmly anchored on technology, warning that the Commission will tolerate no form of misconduct in the electoral process.
Amupitan made the declaration in Lagos during the 2026 INEC Induction and Strategic Retreat, held from January 9 to 10, where he said the Commission was preparing for a rapidly evolving electoral environment and must rise to Nigerians’ growing expectations.
“We gather here not merely as electoral administrators, but as custodians of the will of the Nigerian people,” Amupitan said. “This retreat bridges our institutional experience with the innovative demands of a changing electoral landscape.”
The INEC chairman commended staff for their performance during the November 2025 Anambra State governorship election, describing it as a defining early test of his leadership.
Looking ahead, he said preparations for 2027 would pass through critical milestones, including the February 2026 FCT Area Council elections and the off-cycle governorship polls in Ekiti and Osun states.
“These elections are not routine exercises; they are testing grounds for our readiness,” he said. “They allow us to fine-tune our systems and ensure every technical and logistical gear is perfectly oiled ahead of 2027.”
Amupitan outlined five non-negotiable pillars that would guide INEC’s operations: free, fair, credible, transparent and inclusive elections.
“We must organise elections free from interference, fair to all contestants, credible in the eyes of the global community, transparent in every process, and inclusive of every Nigerian, regardless of physical ability or location,” he stated.
Highlighting the growing influence of young voters, Amupitan noted that millions of first-time voters in 2027 would demand openness and real-time accountability.
“These are digital natives with little patience for opacity,” he said. “It is our duty to prove to these tech-savvy and often sceptical young voters that INEC can be trusted.”
On legal compliance, the INEC boss stressed zero tolerance for violations, declaring: “Under my leadership, the rule of law is not a suggestion; it is our operating system.”
He revealed that the retreat would deliberate on 17 key thematic areas, including logistics, ad-hoc staff management, transportation, voter registration, election security and political party administration.
“We must ensure Continuous Voter Registration and revalidation exercises are beyond reproach,” he said, adding that party finance transparency and internal democracy would also be addressed.
Amupitan said INEC had a rare opportunity to redefine Nigeria’s electoral history.
“The 2027 General Election must be a watershed moment,” he declared. “Let it be said that under our watch, INEC became the best Election Management Body in Africa — a beacon of integrity and technological efficiency.”
He warned that breaches of INEC’s values would attract sanctions, insisting there was “no room for misconduct, whether by omission or commission.”
In his remarks, Lagos State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Ayobami Salami, described the retreat as a major milestone in the Commission’s evolution, noting that public expectations of elections were higher than ever.
He said the programme was designed to strengthen leadership capacity, deepen institutional understanding and promote collaboration, stressing that early planning and strategic coordination were critical as INEC moves steadily toward 2027.