The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned its officials against actions that could undermine the credibility of the 2027 general elections, stressing that misconduct, political bias and ethical violations will attract consequences.
The INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, issued the warning on Monday during the commission’s South-West Zonal Interactive Meeting on election preparedness in Lagos.
He urged electoral officers to remain impartial and ensure that their decisions are guided strictly by the law rather than political interests.
INEC Demands Neutrality From Electoral Officers
Amupitan said electoral personnel must protect the integrity of the electoral process by avoiding partisan behaviour, administrative negligence and any action capable of damaging public confidence.
He said INEC would enforce its staff code of conduct and hold officials accountable for violations.
“Partisan leaning, administrative negligence, or compromised ethics will not be tolerated,” he said.
The chairman reminded officers that their responsibility was to conduct elections fairly without favouring any candidate or political party.
Officials Must Follow Electoral Laws
Amupitan explained that the Electoral Act requires election personnel to take an oath committing them to neutrality.
He said officials must always ask what the law requires rather than consider which candidate or party may benefit from a decision.
“When you take that oath, you are committing yourself to administer an election in which you have no preferred candidate and no preferred political party,” he said.
He also warned officials against using informal methods to solve election-related challenges where legal procedures already exist.
Credibility of 2027 Polls Depends on Implementation
The INEC chairman said credible elections require more than laws, technology or an independent electoral body.
According to him, the quality of an election depends largely on how effectively officials implement established rules and procedures.
“A beautifully drafted Electoral Act cannot by itself guarantee a credible election. A sophisticated electoral technology cannot by itself guarantee integrity,” he said.
Amupitan urged staff to understand electoral laws, document their decisions and ensure their actions can withstand public scrutiny and judicial review.
INEC Records More Than 10.7 Million New Voters
The chairman said preparations for the 2027 elections were already underway, with focus on: Technology improvements, voter registration, logistics planning, staff training, Institutional integrity
He disclosed that INEC registered 10,772,421 voters during the three phases of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), subject to completion of the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) verification.
Printable PVCs Introduced
Amupitan said INEC introduced printable Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) during the recent Osun governorship election in line with provisions of the Electoral Act.
He said the objective was to ensure eligible voters are not prevented from participating because of delays in card collection.
“Our goal is simple: no Nigerian who is eligible to vote should be disenfranchised by logistics,” he said.
The commission, he added, would review voter registration procedures and address challenges affecting PVC distribution at local government level.
INEC Improves Result Management System
The electoral body is also upgrading its result management process to improve transparency during elections.
Amupitan said the commission was refining its systems to ensure that election results could be tracked from polling units to the national collation centre.
He said the newly introduced eEC8A system would support verification and improve confidence in result transmission.
Logistics Remains Major Election Challenge
The INEC chairman identified logistics as one of the biggest challenges in election administration.
He said the commission was working on: early deployment of sensitive materials, security coordination, vendor management, training of ad-hoc workers
He added that INEC was implementing a “Zero-Failure” protocol and developing digital training tools to complement physical training programmes.
Osun Election Lessons Must Guide 2027
Amupitan said recent off-cycle elections, particularly the Osun governorship election, demonstrated INEC’s ability to deliver when discipline, technology and professionalism are combined.
However, he warned against complacency ahead of the nationwide 2027 elections.
“If Osun showed Nigerians what we can do, 2027 must prove to the world that excellence is our permanent culture,” he said.
He stressed that the success of the election would not be measured only by voter turnout but by the quality and credibility of the process.
South-West Officials Assess Preparedness
The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner for Lagos State, Ayobami Salami, said election preparation must begin long before election day.
He said credibility depends on: Competent personnel, strong logistics systems, reliable technology, effective security arrangements, engagement with stakeholders
Salami said the South-West’s diverse electoral environment requires detailed planning to address demographic, geographical and operational challenges.
The meeting was attended by electoral officers, department heads and senior officials from INEC offices across the South-West region.
