The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday commenced its consultative meetings with key electoral stakeholders, starting with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), as part of preparations for forthcoming elections and the 2027 General Election.
While welcoming participants, the INEC Chairman described the meeting as a critical platform for dialogue and collaboration, noting that 2026 will be a year of intense electoral activities as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 polls. He called on all stakeholders to work collectively to safeguard the nation’s democracy.
Reflecting on recent achievements, Prof. Amupitan recalled the successful conduct of the Anambra State off-cycle governorship election on 8 November 2025, barely 15 days after he assumed office. He said the election, which involved over 2.8 million registered voters across 5,718 polling units and candidates from 16 political parties, was conducted with transparency, accountability and strict adherence to the law. He also highlighted the deployment of sign language interpreters as a milestone in promoting inclusivity.
On upcoming elections, the INEC Chairman announced that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council Elections will hold on Saturday, 21 February 2026, involving over 1.68 million registered voters across six area councils. He disclosed that preparations are at an advanced stage, with non-sensitive materials already delivered, ad hoc staff recruited and trained, BVAS devices being configured, and sensitive materials scheduled for delivery a day before the polls. A mock accreditation exercise will be conducted on 7 February 2026 in selected polling units across the FCT. He added that 83 domestic and five foreign observers have been accredited.
Prof. Amupitan also confirmed that bye-elections will be conducted on the same day in Ahoada East II and Khana II State Constituencies of Rivers State, as well as Kano Municipal and Ungogo State Constituencies of Kano State, following vacancies created by resignation and death of lawmakers.
Looking ahead, he reiterated that the Ekiti State governorship election will take place on 20 June 2026, while Osun State will go to the polls on 8 August 2026, with several timetable activities already completed for both elections.
On the 2027 General Election, the INEC Chairman assured Nigerians that the timetable and schedule of activities will be released in full compliance with the Constitution and the Electoral Act, 2022. He, however, expressed concern over delays in the amendment of the Electoral Act and called on CSOs to support efforts urging the National Assembly to expedite action.
A major highlight of the meeting was the announcement of a nationwide Voter Revalidation Exercise ahead of 2027, aimed at sanitising the voters’ register by addressing issues such as duplicate registrations, under-age registration, non-citizens and deceased voters. He stressed that a credible voters’ register remains the foundation of public confidence in elections.
Prof. Amupitan also disclosed progress in the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, noting that over 2.68 million eligible voters were registered in the first phase, while the second phase will run until April 2026. He added that INEC has received 171 letters of intent from associations seeking registration as political parties, with successful applicants to be announced soon.
He urged CSOs to help mobilise residents to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the 10 February 2026 deadline in the FCT, and to support voter education, peaceful campaigns and the fight against hate speech, vote buying and electoral violence.
Responding on behalf of the CSOs, Grace Alache Jerry pledged the continued support of civil society to INEC in strengthening democracy and ensuring credible elections. She assured the Commission of CSOs’ commitment to observing the FCT Area Council elections and intensifying voter sensitisation.
She, however, raised concerns over delays by the National Assembly in amending the Electoral Act, warning that such delays could affect preparations for the 2027 General Election. She called on all stakeholders to intensify advocacy for urgent legislative action to avoid challenges ahead of the polls.
“As stakeholders, we all have a critical role to play to ensure that the 2027 election happens seamlessly and without challenges,” she said.
